Unit Seven

Text A   Soving problems

Part 1  

New Words and Exprssions

1. arise  vi  发生

(1) A crisis has arisen in the office. 办事处出现了危机。

 (2) More problems like those at the nuclear power plant are certain to arise. 核电厂肯定还会出现那样的问题。

2. involve  vt. 涉及 

(1) What will the job involve? 这份工作包括什么？

(2) I didn’t realise putting on a play involved so much work. 我没想到上演一出戏剧需要做这么多的工作。

3. tackle vt. 处理

(1) There is more than one way to tackle theproblem. 解决这个问题的办法不止一个。

(2) It took twelve fire engines to tackle the blaze. 出动了12辆消防车来扑灭那场大火。

4.approach n  手段，方法

(1) He decided to adopt a different approach to do the job. 他决定采用一种不同的方法来做这项工作。

(2) We will be exploring different approaches to gathering information. 我们将探索收集信息的不同方法。

5.prevent vt 防止 

(1) He said this would prevent companies from creating new jobs. 他说这将阻止公司创造新的工作。

(2) The rules are intended to prevent accidents. 这些规定旨在预防事故。

6.eliminate vt.消除

(1) The credit card eliminates the need for cash or cheques. 有了信用卡就不需要使用现金或支票了。

(2) There is no solution that will totally eliminate the possibility of theft. 没有办法可以完全杜绝盗窃案的发生。

7.incurably adv. 治不好地

(1) As those who know these men well have oftensaid, they are gamblers and incurably optimistic. 正如那些了解这些人的人经常说的那样，他们是赌徒，不可救药地乐观。

(2) Take the incurably sick dog to the veterinarian and ask him to put it away.  把这条得了绝症的狗带到兽医那里去，请他终结它的生命。

 Part 2

Text   A

Solving problems

 

Most of us, regardless of what we do for a living or where we live,spend most of our days solving problems. Most problems we face are small but some are large and complex. Let’s think about just what we mean by a problem.

A problem can be an opportunity to make yourself or some situation better. The problems need not arise because of a bad event. Often the possibility for improvement brings a “problem” for you to solve. Developing a positive attitude toward problems can make you into a happier, more confident person who feels much more in control of life.

A problem is the difference between your present situation and your target. When you know where you are and where you want to be, you have a problem. If you find a solution to the problem you will find a way to get to your destination.

A problem results from wanting a better future. Believing that you can get this better future will give you the strength to deal with any problems that stand in the way of this. A challenge is another definition of a problem.

Problem solving involves thinking about what you really want.

Here is an example: you have just brought some dim sum home from the restaurant and it is beginning to cool. If you only like very hot dim sum, then you have a problem: how to keep the dim sum from cooling. On the other hand, if you like warm dim sum, then you do not have a problem.

This example demonstrates that people must think about what they want before tackling a problem. There are two ways to solve a problem: the stop-it approach where the source of the problem is dealt with and the fix-it approach where the effects or symptoms of the problem are tackled.

There are three forms of a stop-it approach, which are prevention, elimination, and reduction. By preventing a problem from occurring we have perhaps the ideal solution. For example, you can prevent feeling cold by putting on enough clothes. Eliminating a problem is also an excellent way of attacking a problem but can be expensive and sometimes it just does not work. For example, if your neighbours are terrible, you can move to somewhere else,but to buy a new house is a lot of trouble and costs a lot of money. In some cases, a strategy of reduction can be highly effective. Reducing the size of aproblem can make it less of a problem. For example, we cannot eliminate traffic accidents, but with strict regulations we can make it happen less.

A fix-it approach focuses on treating the effects of the problem.When someone is incurably ill, a fix-it solution is all that they can do: there is no elimination solution for that, but the doctors can, for instance, lower the fever or ease the pain, to make the patient feel better.

In general, however, it is best to consider the possibility of using a stop-it solution before you focus on fix-it ones.

Key points 

1.       The problem need not arise because of a bad event.

It is not necessarily a bad event that causes the problem.

need 既可以作名词，也可以作动词；作动词时既可以作情态动词，也可以作实意动词。

作名词时，意为“需要，需求”。

e.g. (1) Jack did not feel the need to boast about his success. 杰克觉得没必要吹嘘自己的成功。

      (2) There’s a growing need for new housing in many ruralareas. 许多农村地区对新住房的需求不断增 长。

         作情态动词时，意为“需要，必要，一定”，用于劝告或建议，后跟动词原形。

 e.g.    (1) "I'll putthe key in the window." "You needn't bother," he said gruffly. “我会把钥匙放进窗户里去。”“不必麻烦。”他粗声粗气地说。

(2) We have learned that a market crash need not lead to economic disaster. 我们已经认识到一次市场崩溃未必导致经济灾难。

         作实意动词时，意为“需要，必要”，后跟名词或动词不定式。

         e.g.  (1)He desperately needed money. 他急需钱。

                 (2)I need to make a phone call. 我需要打个电话。

         need后面也可以跟名词或动名词表示被动关系。

         e.g.  (1)The building needs quite a few repairs. 这栋楼不少地方需要修缮。

                 (2)Does this shirt need ironing? 这件衬衫要熨烫吗？