英语博客：A Long Look At Wheels.
时间：2019-01-01 作者：英语课 分类：英语博客 A cup of English
"Clunk, clunk. Clunk, clunk," it was time to have the wheels looked at(1) and the tires changed from winter tires to summer tires. For a few weeks I had felt something bump and rattle 1(2) under the car; it must be the wheels. So, I took the car down to 'Dick's tires' and left it there for an hour. I walked out of the office, and headed to the shops. As I left, something caught my eye. It was a huge pile of wheels, hundreds of them. They looked like they had already been used. I don't know if they were going to be reused, but they reminded me of dinosaur 2 bones, big, dry, heavy things. I thought about wheels in general, how we take them for granted(3), and how old they are. They have been around for a long time, in their most basic form since the Paleolithic Era. Then came the clever Mesopotamians, or Iraqis. In around 3,500BC they made the first wheels for chariot transportation. Then the Egyptians and the Greeks improved upon the first models(4) for better and faster transportation with spokes 3, and the H-type wheel. The first iron rims(5) around the wheels were seen in 1000 BC on Celtic chariots. Then, for a long time no great changes were made until the 1800's when Dunlop invented the pneumatic tire. Since Karl Benz's 1885 Motorwagen, wheels have changed dramatically, using greater technology, and new materials. It's amazing what a "clunk, clunk" can lead you to, a trip back in time, and a look at distant history.
1. 'To have ... looked at' is like saying 'to have ...checked'. It is used for people's health as well as items.
a. You need to have your tooth looked at; it might have a cavity.
b. I need to have those pipes looked at; there might be a leak.
2. 'To rattle' is an intermittent 5 sound; it sometimes indicates that something is loose that shouldn't be.
a. That window is rattling 6 again; I'll need to fix it.
b. The snake rattled 7 its tail; there was no mistake about its identity.
3. 'To take for granted' means to not value a person or thing when you should.
a. He takes her for granted, eats her cooking without saying thank you, and borrows money without paying it back.
b. It's easy to take our modern comforts for granted. When they're gone, then we realize how useful they improve our lives.
4. 'To improve upon something' means to take something and make it better.
a. They took our idea and improved upon it.
b. He improved upon his previous exam results.
5. 'A rim 4' is usually the top edge or lip of a circular item, like a cup, or a volcano.
a. He ran his finger over the rim of the wine glass and it made a loud note.
b. We walked around the rim of the volcano.
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- The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓，笑着叫着。
- She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。
- Are you trying to tell me that David was attacked by a dinosaur?你是想要告诉我大卫被一支恐龙所攻击？
- He stared at the faithful miniature of the dinosaur.他凝视著精确的恐龙缩小模型。
- Her baby caught his fingers in the spokes of the pram wheel. 她宝宝的手指被婴儿车轮的辐条卡住了。 来自辞典例句
- The new edges are called the spokes of the wheel. 新的边称为轮的辐。 来自辞典例句
- The water was even with the rim of the basin.盆里的水与盆边平齐了。
- She looked at him over the rim of her glass.她的目光越过玻璃杯的边沿看着他。
- Did you hear the intermittent sound outside?你听见外面时断时续的声音了吗？
- In the daytime intermittent rains freshened all the earth.白天里，时断时续地下着雨，使整个大地都生气勃勃了。