新编大学英语阅读部分第二册Unit5-1

Unit 5
Language

In-Class Reading
How I Discovered Words

I. Word List
Directions: Memorize the following words and phrases before class. You will benefit from your effort when you get the passage from your teacher and read it on your own.

Proper Names

Aaron
亚伦（《圣经》中人物）

Anne Mansfield Sullivan
（女子名）安妮.曼斯菲尔德.沙利文

Helen Keller
（女子名）海伦.凯勒

Laura Bridgman
（女子名）劳拉.布里奇曼

Perkins
（地名）珀金斯


New Words

afterward 1 *
adv. at a later time 以后
e.g. She married soon afterward.

barrier *
n. 障碍
e.g. Lack of confidence is the biggest barrier to his success.

blossom *
n. the flower of a tree or bush, especially one that produces fruit 花(尤指果树的花); v. produce flowers 开花

childish
adj. related to or typical of a child 孩子气的,孩子所特有的

compass *
n. an instrument that shows directions 指南针

confound
v. confuse 混淆
e.g. I was confounded by his sudden willingness to speak openly.

consciousness *
n. 意识, 知觉
e.g. I had a consciousness that someone else was in the dark room.

dash *
v. throw or knock violently 猛掷
e.g. He dashed the bottle to the floor.

dense 2 *
adj. difficult to see through or breathe in 浓密的
e.g. dense smoke

doll
n. 玩具娃娃
e.g. Barbie dolls are very popular with children in the United States.

eventful *
adj. full of interesting and important events 重大的,重要的
e.g. Her time at the university was the most eventful period of her life.

expectant
adj. hopeful that something good or exciting will happen 期待的,怀有希望的
e.g. The expectant audience waited in silence for the show to begin.

flushed
adj. (--with something) very excited or pleased by something 兴奋的,充满喜悦的
e.g. She was flushed with excitement as she accepted the prize.

fog *
n. cloudy air near the ground which is difficult to see through 雾

fragment *
n. a small part or piece broken off (something) 碎片
e.g. The road was covered with fragments of glass from the broken window.

fragrance 4 *
n. pleasant smell 香味
e.g. They enjoy the fragrance of flowers even if they can't see them.

grope *
v. make one's way by feeling or searching 摸索(路等)
e.g. He groped his way up the stairs.

gush 5
v. flow or send out quickly in large amounts 涌出
e.g. Blood was gushing 6 out of my nose--I thought it would never stop!

hearth 7
n. area in front of a fireplace 壁炉炉床,壁炉地面

honeysuckle
n. 忍冬 (属攀缘植物, 花呈黄色或粉红色)

imitation *
n. 模仿
e.g. Parrots learn human language by imitation.

immeasurable *
adj. too big to be measured 不可计量的,无限的
e.g. Marilyn Monroe's films had an immeasurable effect on a generation of Americans.

impress *
v. establish firmly in mind 使......铭记
e.g. This change has not yet impressed itself on the British public.

keenly *
adv. extremely, deeply 强烈地
e.g. They're keenly aware that this will be their last chance to succeed.

languor 8
n. 无精打采, 倦怠

linger *
v. 逗留
e.g. Children lingered outside the school in the afternoon.

misty 9 *
adj. not clear or bright 模糊的
e.g. a misty photograph

outburst
n. a sudden, violent expression of feeling , especially anger 发泄,(情绪)突发
e.g. I apologize for my outburst of anger just now.

passionate 10
adj. showing very strong feelings 表现出强烈感情的
e.g. a passionate speech

penetrate 11 *
v. succeed in getting through 透过
e.g. The rain had penetrated 12 right through his clothes to his skin.

plummet 13
n. 测深锤, 铅坠

quiver *
v. shake slightly, often because of strong emotion 颤抖
e.g. Her voice was quivering with excitement.

rag *
n. a piece of cloth, especially one that is torn or worn 破布,碎布

renew *
v. begin doing (something) again 重新开始
e.g. He believes the peace talks will be renewed soon.

repentance 14
n. the state of being sorry 懊悔

rod *
n. a long thin pole made of wood or metal 杆,竿

sensation *
n. 感觉

sorrow *
n. a feeling of deep sadness or regret 难过
e.g. She wrote to express her sorrow at the death of their son.

spout 15
n. (喷泉、水泵等的) 喷口，喷嘴

stream *
n. a current of water or air 水/气流
e.g. A stream of cold air rushed through the open door.

tangible 16
adj. real or definite enough to be observed or felt 可触知的

tenderness *
n. gentleness 温柔，柔情

thrill *
n. a sudden wave of strong emotion 兴奋，激动
e.g. With a thrill I realized that I had won.

tussle 17
n. struggle or argument between two people 争执，争辩
e.g. We had a tussle every year over where to go on holiday.

uncomprehending
adj. not understanding what is happening 不理解的

unconsciously *
adv. 不知不觉地，无意识地
e.g. He unconsciously imitated his father.

upturned
adj. turned upwards 18 仰着的，向上翘的

vainly *
adv. unsuccessfully 徒劳地
e.g. He tried vainly to make them listen.

wordless *
adj. not expressed in words 无言的


How I Discovered Words
Helen Keller*

1 The most important day I remember in all my life is the one on which my teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, came to me. I am filled with wonder when I consider the immeasurable contrast between the two lives which it connects. It was the third of March, 1887, three months before I was seven years old.
2 On the afternoon of that eventful day, I stood on the porch, dumb, expectant. I guessed vaguely 19 from my mother's signs and from the hurrying to and fro in the house that something unusual was about to happen, so I went to the door and waited on the steps. The afternoon sun penetrated the mass of honeysuckle that covered the porch, and fell on my upturned face. My fingers lingered almost unconsciously on the familiar leaves and blossoms which had just come forth 20 to greet the sweet southern spring. I did not know what the future held of marvel 21 or surprise for me.<1> Anger and bitterness had preyed 23 upon me continually for weeks and a deep languor had succeeded this passionate struggle.
3 Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, when it seemed as if a tangible white darkness shut you in, and the great ship, tense and anxious, groped her way toward the shore with plummet and sounding-line<2>, and you waited with beating heart for something to happen? I was like that ship before my education began, only I was without compass or sounding-line, and had no way of knowing how near the harbor was. "Light! Give me light!" was the wordless cry of my soul, and the light of love shone on me in that very hour.
4 I felt approaching footsteps. I stretched out my hand as I supposed to my mother.<3> Someone took it, and I was caught up and held close in the arms of her who had come to reveal all things to me, and, more than all things else, to love me.
5 The morning after my teacher came she led me into her room and gave me a doll. The little blind children at the Perkins Institution had sent it and Laura Bridgman had dressed it; but I did not know this until afterward. When I had played with it a little while, Miss Sullivan slowly spelled into my hand the word "d-o-l-l". I was at once interested in this finger play and tried to imitate it. When I finally succeeded in making the letters correctly I was flushed with childish pleasure and pride. Running downstairs to my mother I held up my hand and made the letters for doll. I did not know that I was spelling a word or even that words existed; I was simply making my fingers go in monkey-like imitation. In the days that followed I learned to spell in this uncomprehending way a great many words, among them, pin, hat, cup and a few verbs like sit, stand and walk. But my teacher had been with me several weeks before I understood that everything has a name.
6 One day, while I was playing with my new doll, Miss Sullivan put my big rag doll into my lap, also spelled "d-o-l-l" and tried to make me understand that "d-o-l-l" applied 24 to both. Earlier in the day we had had a tussle over the words "m-u-g" and "w-a-t-e-r". Miss Sullivan had tried to impress it upon me that "m-u-g" is mug and that "w-a-t-e-r" is water, but I persisted in confounding the two. In despair she had dropped the subject for the time, only to <4> renew it at the first opportunity. I became impatient at her repeated attempts and, seizing the new doll, I dashed it upon the floor. I was keenly delighted when I felt the fragments of the broken doll at my feet. Neither sorrow nor regret followed my passionate outburst. I had not loved the doll. In the still, dark world in which I lived there was no strong sentiment or tenderness. I felt my teacher sweep the fragments to one side of the hearth, and I had a sense of satisfaction that the cause of my discomfort 25 was removed. She brought me my hat, and I knew I was going out into the warm sunshine. This thought, if a wordless sensation may be called a thought, made me hop 3 and skip with pleasure.
7 We walked down the path to the well-house, attracted by the fragrance of the honeysuckle with which it was covered. Someone was drawing water and my teacher placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream gushed 26 over one hand she spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed 27 upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly, I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten-a thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that "w-a-t-e-r" meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. That living word awakened 28 my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free! There were barriers still, it is true, but barriers that could in time be swept away.
8 I left the well-house eager to learn. Everything had a name, and each name gave birth to a new thought. As we returned to the house every object which I touched seemed to quiver with life. That was because I saw everything with the strange, new sight that had come to me. On entering the door I remembered the doll I had broken. I felt my way to the hearth and picked up the pieces. I tried vainly to put them together. Then my eyes filled with tears; for I realized what I had done, and for the first time I felt repentance and sorrow.
9 I learned a great many new words that day. I do not remember what they all were; but I do know that mother, father, sister, teacher were among them-words that were to make the world blossom for me, "like Aaron's rod <5>, with flowers". It would have been difficult to find a happier child than I was as I lay in my crib at the close of that eventful day and lived over the joys it had brought me, and for the first time longed for a new day to come. (1,059 words)

Time taken: _______ minutes


Phrases and Expressions

at the first opportunity
as soon as possible 尽快
e.g. They will contact us at the first opportunity.

be about to (do something)
be ready or likely to (do something) 打算(做某事)
e.g. We are about to have dinner.

give birth to
cause something to happen 引起，使发生
e.g. The extraordinary experience gave birth to his latest novel.

in time
sooner or later, eventually 迟早，最终
e.g. You'll learn how to do it in time.

live over
reminisce about, recall vividly 29 回忆
e.g. Parents often live over the first words or steps of their children.

long for
want very much 渴望
e.g. He longed for the winter to be over.

prey 22 (up) on
(of unhappiness, troubles, etc.) trouble greatly 烦扰
e.g. The problem preyed (up) on his mind.

shut somebody/something in
prevent somebody/something from getting out of (a place) 将某人/某事物关在(某处)
e.g. We always shut the hens in at night.

sweep away
completely destroy or make something disappear 清除掉
e.g. A sudden feeling of nostalgia 30 (思乡之情) swept all my anger away.

the close of
the end of an activity or of a period of time 结尾时，末期
e.g. At the close of the nineteenth century Britain was a rich country.

to and fro
backwards 31 and forwards 前后，来回
e.g. I was disturbed by all the people walking to and fro outside the office.