Section Four Consolidation Activities

I. Vocabulary Analysis 

1. Phrase practice

1. be confronted with = suddenly found oneself faced with  面临，面对

e.g. All the programs will be confronted with great difficulties at the start. 所有的项目刚开始时总会遇到很大的困难。

   Being confronted with such crisis, he demonstrated such courage. 面对如此危机，他展现出了这样的勇气。

 

2. have one thing in common = share the same characteristic 具有相同之处

e.g. All kids have one thing in common: they are precious gifts. 所有孩子都有一个共同点：他们都是珍贵的礼物。

 

3. give in to sth. = let oneself be overcome by 屈服，向……让步

e.g. Never give in to their insult. 绝不能屈服于他们的侮辱。

   The police decided not to give in to his demands. 警察最终决定不向他的要求让步。

 

4. lock it away within sb. = keep it in one’s mind and don’t ever forget it 埋藏起来

e.g. You should not shed tears but lock your sorrow away within yourself. 你不应当流泪，而应当把忧伤深埋心中。

 

2. Word comparison

1.

anger: a strong feeling of wanting to hurt or criticize someone because they have done something bad to you or been unkind to you

e.g. Paul's face was filled with anger.

discomfort: a feeling of slight pain or of being physically uncomfortable

e.g. She still suffers considerable discomfort from her injury.

unhappiness: the state of being unhappy

e.g. Juliet's eyes shone with unhappiness.

anguish: mental or physical suffering caused by extreme pain or worry

e.g. Nothing can take away the anguish of losing a child.

2.

special: not ordinary or usual, but different in some way and often better or more important

e.g. This is a special case, deserving special treatment.

peculiar: strange, unfamiliar, or a little surprising

e.g. There was a peculiar smell in the kitchen.

particular: (only used before noun) a particular thing or person is the one that you are talking about, and not any other

e.g. Most students choose one particular area for research.

Concrete: definite, positive

e.g. The policy have nothing concrete to go on.

 

3.

spend: to use your money to pay for goods or services

e.g. I can't afford to spend any more money this week.

spend something on something

cost: be obtainable at the price of, require the payment of

e.g. It costs too much.

take: if something takes a particular amount of time, money, effort, etc., that amount of time, etc. is needed for it to happen or succeed

e.g. Organizing a successful street party takes a lot of energy.

waste: to use more money, time, energy, etc. than is useful or sensible

e.g. Leaving the heating on all the time wastes electricity.

4.

conspicuous: very easy to notice

e.g. Lincoln is a conspicuous example of a poor boy who succeeded.

graceful: moving in a smooth and attractive way, or having an attractive shape or form

e.g. We admired the graceful poise of the dancer.

lonely: (adj.) unhappy because you are alone or do not have anyone to talk to

e.g. He has so few friends that his life is lonely.

truly: used to emphasize that the way you are describing something is really true (= really)

e.g. This encyclopedia is truly a compendium of knowledge.

5.

last: happening or coming after all other similar things or people

e.g. And last but not least there is the question of adequate funding.

final: being or happening at the end of a series of events, actions, statements, etc.; being the result of a particular process

e.g. The project is in its final stages.

ending: the last part of a story; the act of finishing sth., the last part of sth.

e.g. His stories usually have a happy ending.

concluding: the last remark ,etc. in an event or piece of writing

e.g. This is the concluding section of Chapter 6.

6.

alone: adv./adj. without any friends; without the help of other people or things

 e.g. Carol felt all alone in the world.

   It is hard bringing up children alone.

hoarse: adj. (of a person or voice) sounding harsh, especially because of a sore throat

e.g. We shouted ourselves hoarse at the football match.

grave: (of people) serious in manner, as if sth. sad, important or worrying has just happened

e.g. His face was grave when I told him my decision.

lonely: (adj.)  unhappy because you are alone or do not have anyone to talk to

e.g. Don't you get lonely being on your own all day?

7.

give up: to stop trying to do sth.

e.g. I give up; tell me what the answer is.

give in: to admit that you have been defeated by sb./sth.

e.g. He will give in to his opponent's claim rather than wrangle over a disputed point.

stop: to make sb./sth. no longer do sth.

 e.g. That phone never stops ringing.

retreated (v.+adv./prep.) to change your mind about sth. because of criticism or because a situation has become too difficult

 e.g. The government has retreated from its pledge to reduce class size.

8.

believe: to feel certain that sth. is true or that sb. is telling you the truth

 e.g. He thinks that everyone who believes will go to heaven.

notice: to see or hear sb./sth.;to become aware of sb./sth.; to pay attention to sb./sth.

 e.g. She wears those strange clothes just to get herself noticed.

note: to mention sth. because it is important or interesting

 e.g. I failed to note that he had left.

decide: to think carefully about the different possibilities that are available and then choose one of them

 e.g. That chance meeting decided my career.

.

3. Synonym / Antonym

Give some synonyms or antonyms of the word underlined in each sentence in the sense it is used.

1. When I was ten I was suddenly confronted with the anguish of moving from the old home I had ever known.

Synonyms: pain, grief, sorrow, agony

 

2. “It isn’t easy, is it, Billy?” he said softly, sitting down on the steps beside me.

Antonyms: loudly, harshly, roughly

 

3. We seem to have so many ways of saying goodbye and they all have one thing in common: sadness.

Synonym:: sorrow, grief, dismay

 

4. We walked, hand in hand, to his favorite place in the front yard, where a huge red rosebush sat conspicuously alone.

Antonyms: inconspicuously, unnoticeably

 

5. My son had died in some tiny village in Italy

Synonyms: small, little

 

6. When you and your friends must part, I want you to reach deep within you and bring back that first hello.

Antonyms: meet, join, unite, gather

 

7. A year and half later, my grandfather became gravely ill.

Synonyms: seriously, severely, hopelessly

 

8. My whole life, brief as it was, had been spent in that big old house.

Antonyms: long, permanent, lasting

 

4. Word derivation  

Fill in the blank in each sentence with an appropriate form of the given word in the brackets.

1.  Nobody wanted to live in the industrial part of the town. (industry)

2. The police asked him to give a description of the suitcase he had lost. (describe)

3. He had no suspicion that he was being watched. (suspect)

4. This is Alexandra, my personal assistant. (assist)

5. Although some of my work-mates quickly found new jobs after the factory closed down, my brother and I were unemployed for several months. (employ)

6. Although I was positive that the girl had stolen my ring, I could not find any proof. (prove)

 

1. industry (n.) 工业、行业；勤奋

  industrial (adj.) 工业的；用于工业的；工业发达的

  industrious (adj.) 勤奋的、勤劳的

  industriously (adv.) 勤劳地、勤奋地

  industriousness (n.) 勤奋、勤劳

e.g. The government takes great measures to expand industry and commerce.

    政府采取很多举措发展工商业。

His success was due to his industry and thrift.

他取得成功是由于他的勤俭。

Tom is working industriously at his desk.

汤姆正在办公桌前勤奋地工作。

 

2. describe (v.) 描述某人（某物）；叫做、称做；画（尤指几何图形）

  description (n.) 对某人（某物）的描述、叙述

  descriptive (adj.) 描述的、描写的

e.g. There is some excellent descriptive writing in his novel.

在他的小说里有些极好的描写。

We will describe each of these methods in more detail in the following sections.

在下面的部分中我们将更详细地描述每一种方法。

    Your essay contains too much description, and not enough discussion of the issues.

你的文章中有太多的描写，而对问题的论述不够。

Her beauty is beyond description.

她的美丽无法用语言描述。

 

3. suspect (v.) 有（某事物）存在或属实的想法，相信；怀疑（某物），不相信；怀疑某人有 某罪

  suspect (n.) 嫌疑犯，可疑对象

  suspect (adj.) 不可靠的；不可信的；可疑的

  suspicion (n.) 怀疑；猜疑；些许味道，少量

  suspicious (adj.) 有疑心的，表示怀疑的；引起怀疑的，可疑的

  unsuspecting (adj.) 不怀疑的，无猜疑的，可信任的

e.g. The statement of an interested party is naturally suspect.

当事人的陈述自然是可疑的。

I suspect that he is more or less involved in the affair.

我猜他和这件事多少有点牵连。

The constable conducted the suspect to the police station.

警官把嫌疑犯带到派出所。

I'm suspicious of his story because I know he sometimes tells lies.

我对他的说法有疑惑，因为我知道他有时候会说谎。

This boy's honesty is above / beyond suspicion.

这孩子的诚实是不容质疑的。

We were unsuspecting of the fact that he was the very boss there.

我们没料到他就是那里的老板。

 

4. assist (v.) 帮助、协助、援助；在某场合出席，参加某事物

  assistance (n.) 帮忙，援助

  assistant (n.) 助手、助理；店员

  assistant (adj.) （定语）协理、副经理

e.g. You will be expected to assist the editor with the selection of illustrations for the book.

你需要帮助编辑为这本书选取插图。

In the summer holiday, I will take a part-time job as a shop assistant.

我打算在暑假找一份店员的兼职工作。

Can I be of any assistance, madam?

女士，有什么可以帮你吗？

 

5. employ (v.) 雇用某人；使用某人（某物），利用（时间、注意力等）

  employee (n.) 受雇者；雇员；雇工

  employer (n.) 雇用者；雇主

  employment (n.) 雇用；使用；受雇用；职业

  unemployed (adj.) 未被雇用的；失业的；不在使用中的

  unemployment (n.) 失业；失业状况；失业人数

e.g. Unemployment has fallen again for the third consecutive month.

失业人数已经连续三个月下降了。

He has been unemployed for over a year.

他已经失业一年多了。

Do you think interview is the best way to choose competent employees?

你认为面试是选择有能力的员工的最好方法吗？

 

6. prove (v.) 证明、证实；显示出是某事物

  proof (n.) 证据、证物、证言；验证、证明

  proof (adj.) 可防某事物的，有防护作用的；能抵御某事物的；（用以构成复合词）抗…… 的；防……的

  disprove (v.) 证明（某事物）有误或有假

  disproof (n.) 反证明；反证物

e.g. The operation proved a complete success.

手术事实上是很成功的。

If anyone needs proof of Andrew Davies' genius as a writer, this novel is it.

    如果谁需要证明安德鲁·戴维斯写作方面的天份，那这部小说就是最好的证明。

II. Grammar Exercises 

1. Tenses

Use of simple past tense:

1) The simple past tense is used to talk about completed actions and habits in the past. 

e.g. Shakespeare died in 1616.

 We used to walk a mile in the morning when we were in London.

2) Past tense of verbs such as want, wonder, hope is used for polite inquiries.

  e.g. I wondered how you liked the film.

 

Use of past progressive:

1) The past progressive indicates a limited duration of time and is thus a convenient way to indicate that something took place (in the simple past) while something else was happening. 

e.g. Carlos lost his watch while he was running.

2) The past progressive can express incomplete action.

e.g. I was sleeping on the couch when Bertie smashed through the door.

※ as opposed to the simple past, which suggests a completed action

e.g. I slept on the couch last night.

3) The past progressive is also used to poke fun at or criticize an action that is sporadic but habitual in nature. 

e.g. Tashonda was always handing in late papers.

4) We use the past progressive of verbs such as wonder to show politeness.

  e.g. I was wondering if you could give me a lift.

  ※ This use is even more polite and tentative than the simple past.

 

Use of past perfect tense:

1) The past perfect tense expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past.

e.g. I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai.

2) If the past perfect tense is not referring to an action at a specific time, it is not optional. Compare the examples below. Here the past perfect tense is referring to a lack of experience rather than an action at a specific time. For this reason, the past perfect tense cannot be used.

e.g. She never saw a bear before she moved to Alaska.       Not Correct

She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska.    Correct

 

Practice:

Complete the following sentences using the simple past, past progressive or past perfect tense.

1. He watched the children for a moment. Some of them _________(bathe) in the sea, others _________ (look) for shells, still others _________ (play) in the sand.

2. I thought my train _________ (leave) at 14:33, and _______ (be) very disappointed when I __________ (arrive) at 14:30 and _________ (learn) that it just _______ (leave). I ________ (find) later that I ________ (use) an out-of-date timetable.

3. I ___________ (cycle) home yesterday when suddenly a man _________ (step) into the road in front of me. I _________ (go) quite fast but luckily I _________ (manage) to stop in time and __________ (not hit) him.

4. She __________(play) the guitar while her sister________(sing).

5. I ___________ (try) to fill out the form, but I couldn't answer half of the questions. They ___________ (want) me to include references, but I didn't want to list my previous landlord because I ___________ (have) some problems with him in the past and I knew he wouldn't recommend me. I ___________ (end) up listing my father as a reference.

6. When Jack ________ (enter) the room, I _________ (recognize, not) him because he _________ (lose) so much weight and ________  (grow) a beard. He looked totally different!

 

Keys:

1. were bathing, were looking, were playing (The past progressive refers to an event in progress.)

2. was leaving, was, arrived, learned, had left, found, had used

3. was cycling, stepped, was going, managed, didn’t hit

4. was playing; was singing (We use the simple past tense to express a short action that happens in the middle of the long action. We can join the two ideas with when or while.)

5. tried, wanted, had had, ended

6. entered, didn't recognize, had lost, grown

 

2. Verbs of perception

Verbs of perception are a set of verbs denoting the use of one of the physical senses. Some verbs of perception see, look at, hear, listen, and feel, along with watch and sense can be used with objects followed by verbs in -ing form, -ed form and infinitive form. 

e.g. We heard you leave. (Emphasis on our hearing.)

We heard you leaving. (Emphasis on your leaving.)
John has never heard the piece played before. (Emphasis on the passive voice of play.)

 

Practice: Fill in the blanks with the proper form of the verbs in the brackets.

1. The instructor watched the student ________ (take) the test.

2. I heard the dog ________ (bark), but it didn’t keep me awake.

3. She felt herself ________ (lift) up by the wind and ________ (throw) to the ground.   

4. The missing boy was last seen ____ (play) near the river.

5. They knew her very well. They had seen her _____ (grow) up from childhood.

Keys: 1. take 2. barking 3. lifted, thrown 4. playing 5. grow

 

3. Special word order with as and though

In a concessive clause introduced by though or although, the complement or the adverbial can be placed at the beginning of the sentence. The formula for the inversion is:

 

 

e.g. Old as / though he is, he works hard as a young man.

Hard as / though he studied, he did not pass the examination.

 

Practice：Rewrite the following sentences according to the model.

Model: Though it was brief, it had been spent in that big old house.

à Brief as it was, it had been spent in that big old house.

1. Though he was poor, he was honest.

2. Though I admire him much as a writer, I do not like him as a man.

3. Although he is a child, he knows a lot.

4. Though he worked hard, he didn’t finish the work satisfactorily.

 

Keys:

1. Poor as / though he was, he was honest.

2. Much as/though I admire him as a writer, I do not like him as a man.

3. Child as / though he is, he knows a lot.

4. Hard as / though he worked, he didn’t finish the work satisfactorily.

 

4. Present participle phrases used as adverbials

Present participle phrases can be used as adverbials to express reason, condition, time, result and attending circumstances.

e.g. Turning around, she saw an ambulance driving up. (time)

Knowing English well, he can read Shakespeare. (reason)

Working still harder, you will succeed. (condition)

Their car was caught in a traffic jam, thus causing the delay. (result)

He sat at the window eating. (attending circumstances)

 

Practice:

Fill in each blank with the proper form of the verb in the brackets and decide what it expresses.

1. He put the big box down on the floor, _______（breathe） heavily and _________ (look) exhausted.

2. ________ (consider) the importance of the experiment, they checked the result again and again

3. This same thing, _________ (happen) in the peacetime, would be a great disaster

4. We introduced a lot of advanced devices, thus _______ (save) much time and labor.

5. _______ (hear) the news, they all jumped with joy.

 

Keys:

1. breathing, looking (attending circumstances)

2. Considering (reason)

3. happening (condition)

4. saving (result)

5. Hearing (time)

 

III. Translation exercises

1. 他为这次面试中可能被问到的问题做好了准备。(confront)

Explanation:

If you are confronted with a problem, task, or difficulty, you have to deal with it. If you confront a difficult situation or issue, you accept the fact that it exists and try to deal with it. If you are confronted by something that you find threatening or difficult to deal with, it is there in front of you.

Translation:

He has prepared answers to the questions that he expects to confront during the interview.

Practice:

她要在事业和家庭之间作出抉择。

She was confronted with a choice between her career or family. 

她心里明白自己必须克服恐惧心理。

She knew that she had to confront her fears. 

    面对愤怒的人群，警察只能撤退了。

    Confronted by an angry crowd, the police retreated.

 

2. 他悲惨的遭遇深深打动了我们，我们几乎要哭出声来。(touch)

Explanation:

To touch sb. is to make somebody feel upset or sympathetic.

Translation:

His sad story touched us so deeply that we nearly cried.

Practice:

我感动得无法用言语来表达。

I was touched beyond words. 

他的话确实触动了我的心弦。

What he said really touched my heart.

 

3. 上海人容易听懂苏州话，因为上海话和苏州话有许多共同之处。(in common)

Explanation:

To have something in common with somebody is to have the same interests and ideas as somebody else. To have something in common with something is to have the same features and characteristics.

Translation:

People from Shanghai can understand Suzhou dialect with ease, for Shanghai dialect and Suzhou dialect have much in common.

Practice:

约翰和我毫无共同之处。

John and I have nothing in common.

她已经和许多人一起申请参加训练。

In common with many others, she applied for a training programme.

 

4. 亨利和妻子正在考虑能不能在三年内买一幢新房子。(look into)

Explanation:

If a person or organization is looking into a possible course of action, a problem, or a situation, they are finding out about it and examining the facts related to it.

Translation:

Henry and his wife are looking into the possibility of buying a new house within three years.

Practice:

政府将研究如何降低失业率。

The government will look into how to reduce unemployment.

你的案件正在调查之中。如果有事需要通知，我们会再写信给你的。

Your case is being looked into. When we have anything to report, we will write to you again.