活动简讯-上海满分作文

Section A
Journey through the odyssey years
Background information
1.
generation groups in the west

Generation gaps，referring to difference between young people and their
elders，especially between children and their parents，have often been attributed to
rapid cultural change，particularly musical tastes，fashion，culture and politics.
Some special terms for different generations have thus been coined in English-speaking
countries：
Generation Jones：A term used to describe the generation born right after World
War ｜｜ in 1945 through 's usually identified with “baby boomers”.Key
characteristics assigned to these members are less optimism，distrust of
government，and generally used to refer to people born in the generation
marks the period of birth decline after the baby boom. The generation was pushed
toward adulthood at an age earlier than any other recent generations. They are more
ethnically diverse and better educated than the baby boomers.

Generation Y：Also known as the Millennial Generation and many of them are
children of baby boomers .Their birth years range from the early 1980s to the early
's generally marked by an increase use and familiarity with
communications，media，and digital technologies.

Generation Z：Also known as the net or the internet Generation. In the US and other
Western nations，it is a common name for the people born from the mid.1990s or early
2000s through to the present. This generation has spend their entire life with the World
Wide Web and high tech gadgets.

2.
the odyssey years

The term odyssey years originated from The odyssey，a long poem by the Greek
author Homer，which is a sequel of the Greek hero，Odysseus. It describes
Odysseus's long journey，trying to return home from adventures and war. For English
speakers，as many as for many cultures，the very name of poem，The Odyssey，has
become a special term for an epic journey，or great struggle. The man character in the
epic poem（史诗），Odysseus，was wandering away from home and loved ones.
During his journey of 10 years，he encountered repeated troubles and challenges. The
key insight in Odyssey is that the essentials of the journey are not only outward struggle
against tremendous difficulties，but，more importantly，inward struggles leading to
personal growth. His journey is the one of self-discovery and of combating his own

arrogance and pride from his young rebel heart. Therefore, it makes sense to borrow
The Odyssey from Greek mythology to describe the rebellious years young people
usually go through. The term odyssey year is a metaphor of this special stage for young
people.
Detailed study of the text

1
Most of us know about the phases of life which we label to parallel different age
groups and life stages childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age.(Para.1)
Meaning: Most of us know about he different life stages that we describe according to
different age groups: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age.
phase:n.[C] one of the sages of a process of development or change 阶段；时期
As time are changing, we‟re entering a new phase in international
relation.随着时代的变化，我们正进入国际关系的新阶段。
label;
vt. Attach a label onto sth. or write information on sth.贴标签于；用标签标明
Mom carefully labeled each jar with its content and the
date.妈妈仔细地在每个罐子上标明装物和日期。
n.[C] a piece of paper or other material which gives you information about the object it
is fixed to 标签
Remember to put your address labels on your
suitcases.记得在你的箱子上系上你的地址标签
parellel：vt.
1） be equal or smile to sth. 与...相当或相似
His career parallels that of his father.他的事业和他父亲有相似之处。
2) be the same distant apart at every point along their whole length与...平行
The steam parallels the road for several miles.小溪与这条路平行数英里。
adolescence：n.[U]the n the ages of 12 and 18，when a young person
is developing into an adult 青春期
This another novel about the joys and sorrows of
adolescence.这是另外一本关于青春期的快乐与悲伤的小说。
2
We think of infancy before childhood and middle age before old age，with each
unique phase bringing its own peculiar set of challenges.（Para.1）
Meaning：We sequence the life stages of infancy，childhood，middle age and old
age according to their natural older，with each particular life stage facing its own
featured challenges.
Sentence structure Note

“with+名词代词+现代分词”作独立主格结构
“with+名词代词+现代分词”构成 独立主格结构，主要用作状语，可以表示伴随
、方式、原因、时间等。with之后的名词和其后的现代 分词构成主谓关系，其
中现代分词表示主动或正在进行的动作。例如：
She sat down at the table，with each dish emitting a delicious

smell.她在餐桌旁坐了下来，每道菜都发出扑鼻的香味。（状语表示伴随）
The girl sat there quite silent with her eyes fixing on the
wall.女孩坐在那里一言不发，目不转睛地盯着墙壁。（状语表示方式）
With our food running out，we had to walk to a village for
help.由于我们的食物即将吃完，我们不得不步行到一个村子寻求帮助.（状语表
示原因）
With summer coming，it is becoming hotter and
hotter.随着夏季来临，天气变得越来越热。（状语表示时间）
peculiar：a.
1）If sth. peculiar to a particular person，place or situation，it is a feature that only
belongs to that person，or only exists in that place or
situation为某人某地某事物所待有的
He likes to do things in his own peculiar way
mannerfashion他喜欢用自己独特的方法方式做事
2）strange，unfamiliar，or a little surprising奇怪的；异常的
That young woman，wearing a man's hat，looks somewhat
peculiar.那位年轻的女子带着一顶男人的帽子，看起来有点奇怪。
Usage NOTE
Peculiar, characteristic, unusual
Peculiar, characteristic
和unusual都可用作形容词，都 含有表示„有特点的，有特色的‟等意思，但有细
微差别。
1
从词义上说，pec uliar着重„独特性‟强调„与众不同的‟特征；characteristic常强调
所指性质， 也可以表示这些性质使某一事物区别于其它的食物，unusual强调„少
见的‟，与通常的情况„截 然不同的‟或„未曾预料的‟特征。例如
The wine has a peculiar taste.这种酒有种独特的味道。
It‟s was not unusual for me to come home at two or three in the
morning.凌晨两三点回家对我来说是很平常的事。
2
从用法上说，pecu liar通常和介词to搭配，表示„为某人或某物所特有‟；charact
eristic通常和介 词of搭配，表示„某物或某人有特性、特征、特色‟；unusual通常
和介词for搭配，表示„ 对…不同寻常‟
例如：
Great minds in general look at life in a way peculiar to
themselves.一般来说，伟大的思想家都以自己独特的眼光来看待生活。
With the friendly and generous care so characteristic of these people, they opened their
house to over guests.这些人以特有的友好和慷概关爱，在家接待了多位客人。
It‟s not unusual of teenagers to go through a phase when they feel ashamed of their
parents, afraid that they might not live up to their friends‟
standards.青少年经历为自己的父母感到羞愧的阶段时很平常的，他们生怕自己
的父母达不到 他们朋友所设的标准。
3
The challengers can be overcome by acquainting ourselves with them, such as the

child‟s need to learn, the adult's need to find the right career and build a family, and the
senior's need for support and good health care.(Para.1)
meaning: By familiarizing ourselves with the particular challenges such as the needs
for different age groups: child, adult, and senior, we can surely overcome all these
challenges.
Meaning beyond words：if we stay positive and optimistic, we‟ll successfully handle
the challenges at different life stages.
acquaint:vt.[fml.]give sb. information about sth. 介绍；使认识；使了解
Please acquaint us with you plans as soon as possible.请尽快将你的计划告诉我们
acquaint oneself with sth.; make an effort to learn about
sth.使自己了解某事；使自己知悉某事
if you want to travel abroad, it‟s worth your time and effort to acquaint yourself with
the customs and social conventions of the countries you plan to
visit .如果你想出国旅行，花些时间和精力去了解你计划去的哪些国家的习惯和
社会习俗是值得的。
4
Interestingly, ideas about the stages of life are changing(Para.2)
Meaning beyond words: Since the sentence states that the ideas about life stages are
changing, it‟s predicable that the following text will focus on this topic.
5
In previous times, people didn't have a solid idea of childhood as being separate from
adulthood.
A hundred years ago, no one thought of adolescence.(Para.3)
Meaning:In the past, people didn't have a clear concept about separating childhood
from adulthood. Children were simply seen as youngsters. Likewise, people didn't
think about the life stage of adolescence a hundred years ago.
Previous: a.(only before noun)having happened or existed before the event, time, or
thing that you are talking about now以前的；先前的
He has tow daughters from a previous marriage.他在前一次婚姻中育有两女。
6
Until recently it was understood as a norm that their induction to adulthood was
completed as soon as they graduated from college. They would now find a sensible job
which would lead to a career.(Para.3)
Meaning: People used to consider it normal: As soon as students graduated from
college, they would become part of the adult community and find a practical and
reliable job toward a career.
Meaning beyond words: Things are no longer the same as they were in the past.
College graduates won't find an ideal job right after they graduate from school. Tt'll
take longer time before they start with their career.
Induction: n.[C,U] the introduction of sb. into a new job, company official position,
etc.,or the ceremony at which this is done就职；入门；就职仪式
Mrs. Simpson is responsible for the induction of the new library
stuff.辛普森太太负责图书馆新职员的入职。
sensible: able, practical, and showing good

judgment合理的；切合实际的；明智的
It would be sensible to take an umbrella with you since there are dark clouds in the
sky.因为天空已乌云密布，你带一把伞是明智的。
Usage NOTE
Sensible, sensitive
1
sensible表示„明智的‟，如：a sensible person(一个明智的人)，a sensible
plan(一个切合实际的计划)。A sensible person makes good decisions and judgments
based on reason rather than
emotion.一个明智的人会根据理智而不是情感来作出合理的决定和判断。
2
sensitive在词义上表示“敏感的；易受影响的”。例如： A sensitive person is
easily upset by others people‟s remarks or
behavior.敏感的人很容易因他人的言论或行为而生气。
Sensitive to表示“对…过敏的；对…理解的”。例如：
Unfortunately, she is sensitive to penicillin, and I doubt whether any other drug will
help her.不幸地是，他对青霉素过敏，我不能确定是否有其他药物可以帮助他。
We‟re trying to make people more sensitive to the difficulties faced by working
mothers.我们正在努力使人们更理解上班族妈妈所面临的困难。
7
Then during this career they would start a family, ideally before they turned
30(Para.3)
Meaning: While working on their career, they would get married to start their own
family, preferably by age 30.
8
Today we have an equivalent need to recognize a new phase of life comes after high
school graduation, continues through college, and then leads to starting a family and
having a career, the so-called odyssey years.(Para.4)
Meaning: Today we are also required to recognize a new life stage which starts from
high school graduation through college till they settle down with with a family and a
new phase might be called the odyssey years,the years of self-discovery.
equivalent:
a. Having the same value, purpose, job, etc, as a person or thing of a different kind
等值的；同等的；相当的
His silence is equivalent to an approval.他的沉默等于同意.。
n.[C]sth. That is too expensive for me; it costs the equivalent of a whole year‟s salary of
mine.这辆车对我来说太贵了，它相当于我去全年的工资。
so-called: a.(only before noun) used to show that sth. or sb. Is usu. called a particular
name如此称呼的；号称的
They‟ve found the flight recorder, the so- called black
box.他们发现了飞行记录器，即所谓的黑匣子。
9
Recent trends show radical changes as young people are following a different agenda.

(Para.4)
Meaning: As young people are living a different lifestyle, the society has gone through
tremendous changes.
Meaning beyond words: Young people tend to behave rebelliously, which is contrary
to the traditional way and beyond the expectations of their parents.
radical:a.
1)used fore saying that a change or way of doing sth. is new and very different from the
usual way(改变或方式)彻底的，根本的
2) To work within our budget, we need to make some radical changes to our operating
procedures.为了配合预算，我们对操作程序需要一些根本的改变。
2）used for saying that an idea is very new and different, and against what most people
think or believe激进的；前卫的
There is political tension between radical and conservation
politicians.激进与保守的政客之间的政治关系紧张。
agent:n.[C] all the things that need to be done or that need to be thought or
solved日常工作事项
There are no excursions or sightseeing trips on his agenda. It‟s just
work,work,work.他的日常工作事项中没有短途出行或观光，除了 工作还是工作
。
10
They take breaks from school, live with friends and often return to living with
their parents. (Para.4)
Meaning:They stop going to school for a while live with friends and often even return
to living with their parents
Meaning beyond words:They obviously have more freedom than older generation.
take a break from:rest for a short period of time when you stop doing sth.中断；暂停
She took a break from her work to make herself some coffee and then resumed a few
minutes
later.她暂停了一会工作，给自己跑了一点咖啡，然后几分钟后继续工作。
11
Similarly, they fall in and out of love, quit one jib and try another or even shift to a
new career. (Para.4)
Meaning: Likewise they fall in and out of love, give up one job and try another, or
change to a completely different profession.
Meaning beyond words: Before they finally settle down, college graduates need to
accumulate life experiences-to discover themselves during their odyssey years.
quit:v.(infml.)leave a job, school, etc, esp. Without completely finishing it
离开（工作岗位，学校等）；离任，离校
The majority of smokers say that they would like to quit
smoking.大多数的吸烟者说他们是想戒烟的。
shift：
V. move form one place or position to another or make sth. do
this(使)移动；（使）转移（地点或位置）
The wind is expected to shift to the east tomorrow.预计明天会向东移。

n.[C] a change in the way people think about sth.,in the way sth. Is
done,etc.(想法、做法等的）改变
The company reacted quickly to shifts in consumer
demand.该公司对消费者需求的变化反应迅速。
12
So,we need to recognize the new stage,the odyssey years,which many now
consider to be an unavoidable stage in reaching adulthood.(Para.4)
Meaning:Therefore,it is necessary to recognized this unavoidable new stage, where
young people explore life in order to reach adulthood.
13
People who were born prior to the 60s or 70s in the last century tended to frame
their concept of adulthood based upon achieving certain accomplishments: moving
away from home, becoming financially independent, finding the right spouse and
staring a family.(Para.5)
Meaning: People born before the 1960s or 1970s were likely to define the term
adulthood according to certain accomplishments, such as moving away from home,
having financial independence, and starting a family with a good husband or wife.
prior:a.(fml.) happening, existing, or done before a particular time
先前的，之前的，事先的
Illegally parked cars may be removed at any time without prior
notice.违章停放的车辆随时会被挪走，无需事先告知。
prior to sth.:(fml.) before sth.在某事之前，先于某事
Although his aunt was gravely ill with cancer, she didn‟t suffer the weeks prior to her
death.虽然他的姑姑患了癌症，病得很重，但他在去世前的几个星期并没有遭受
痛苦。
tend to do sth.:usu. do a particular thing 倾向于；往往会，易于做某事
People tend to need less sleep as they get
older.随着年纪的增长，人们需要的睡眠会变少。
frame:
Vt.(fml.) carefully plan the way you‟re going to ask a question, make a statement,
etc.(小心措辞以）表达
She wondered how she was going to frame the
question.她不知道怎么来提这个问题。
n.[C] a structure made of wood, metal, plastic, etc. that surrounds sth. such as a picture
or window, and holds it in place框架，边框
The wind rattled through the cracks of the window
frames.风穿过窗框的裂缝咯咯作响。
base uponon:use sth. as the thing from which sth. is
developed以。。。为基础；以...为根据
These are the key factors for being a successful speaker, and they are based on my pwn
experience.这些是成为一名成功的演说家的关键因素是以我自己的经验为基础的
。
spouse:n.[C](fml.) a husband or wife 配偶
People can never be too careful when they choose a

spouse.人们在选择配偶时要格外谨慎。
14
But that emphasis on stability did not remain static. Today, young people are
unlikely to do the same.(Para.5)
Meaning: However, stability didn‟t stay the same forever since young people since
young people today are doing things differently from their parents,
Meaning beyond words: Young people today are unlikely to behave the same way as
was at one time considered as the norm: moving away from home, becoming
financially independent, finding the right spouse and starting a family right after they
graduated from college.
stability:n.[U] a situation in which things happen as they should and there are no
harmful changes稳固，稳定
In order to prosper, a country must have political economic and social
stability.为实现繁荣昌盛，一个国家必须在政治、经济和社会上保持稳定。
static:a, not moving,changing,or
developing不动的，不变化的，不发展的，静止的
Although oil prices never remain static, they have, at least, been stable for the last few
months.虽然油价不会保持不变，但至少在过去的几个月是一直保持稳定的。
15
During the odyssey years, a high proportion of young people are delaying marriage,
child bearing, and even employment. (Para.5)
Meaning: Many young people postpone getting married, having children and taking a
job during their odyssey years.
proportion:n.[C,](~of) a part of number or amount, considered in relation to
the whole部分；份额
It is a sad reality that children make up a large proportion of the world‟s population who
suffers from
hunger.儿童占世界上遭受饥饿人口的很大部分，这是一个悲哀的现实。
16
The odyssey years can saddle young people with enormous pressure to move
forward quickly.(Para.6)
Meaning:The odyssey years can make young people feel much stressed to move ahead
quickly.
saddle:
V. put a saddle on a horse给（马）装鞍具；装上马鞍
Why don‟t we saddle a couple of horses and go for a
ride?我们为什么不给几匹马装上鞍具去跑一圈呢？
n[C] a seat,often made of leather, used on a
horse,bicycle,motorcycle,etc.马鞍；（自行车、摩托车等的）车座
When i watch horse racing on television, I wish I was back in the
saddle.我在电视剧上观看赛马时，我希望自己又回到了马鞍上。
saddle sb. with sth.:give sb, sth, that is difficult to deal with
使某人承担苦差事；使某人负重担
The company is saddled with debt due to the consequence of an increased cost of

production,生产成本的提高使该公司陷入了债务。
17
As the sole heir and focus of their parents‟ expectations, hopes and dreams, some
react with rebellious and prideful attitudes and behavior toward their parents.(Para.6)
Meaning: Being the only heir and focus of their parents‟ expectations, hopes and
dreams, some young people behaved rebelliously and proudly toward their parents.
heir:n.[C] the person who has the legal right to receive the property or title of another
person when they die 继承人
The king‟s eldest son is the heir to the royal seat of
power.国王的长子是王位的权力继承人。
rebel:
n.[C] sb. Who opposes or flights against people in authority造反者，反叛者
A Red Cross car drove into the rebel territory to help the
wounded.红十字会的车开进反叛军的领地去帮助伤员。
vi. Oppose sb. in authority accepted ways of doing things造反；反抗（权威或常规）
The people rebelled against the harsh new government.人民反抗苛刻的新政府。
rebellious:a. deliberetely nor obeying people in authority or rules of
behavior叛徒的，翻盘的，反抗的。
Her teachers regard her as a rebellious, trouble-making girl, but in fact she never causes
any
trouble.她的老师认为他是一个有逆反心理、且会制造麻烦的女孩，可事实上 她
从来都不会惹麻烦。
18
They often resent the pressure they‟re felling and keep a distance from their parents
or even run away from home.(Para.6)
Meaning:They often feel upset about the stress have and stay away from their parents
or even secretly leave home.
resent:vt. Feel angry or upset because you think you have been treated unfairly or
without enough respect对...感到愤恨（不满）
The young girl bitterly resented her father‟s new
wife.这个年轻女孩极为憎恨父亲的新妻子。
keep a distance from: stay far enough away from sb. or sth, be safe保持距离
When driving fast on the highway, you should always keep a distance from the car in
front of you to avoid hitting that
car.在高速公路上快速行驶时，应该总是跟前面的车保持一定的距离，以免撞上
。
run away from：leave a tly，in order to escape from sb. or
sth.（尤指）秘密地逃跑，出逃
Her mother's continual criticizing drove her into running away from
home.她母亲不断批评她，促使她离家出走。
19
Their confusion comes from the difficulties to make parents understand them and
the fluid journey of discovery they need in this phase of their lives.（Para.6）
Meaning：They get confused because it's hard to communicate with their parents and

also because the journey of self-discovery they need in this particular life stage is full of
uncertainty.
Meaning beyond words：In addition to the uncertainty of this newly added life
stage，there is a generation gap between parents and children，which could be
frustrating to young people.
fluid：
a. likely to change 不固定的；易变的
The military situation is still very fluid.军事局势仍然非常不确定。
n.[C，U]a liquid 液（体）
If you have a fever，you should drink plenty of
fluids.如果发烧，就需要吸入大量的液体。
20
To get away from this confusion an d upset，many young people resort to computer
games，iPods，iPhones，or iPads to help distract them from their pain and
stress.（Para.6）
Meaning:In order not to be bothered by this confusion and frustration and to forget about their pain
and stress, many young people turn to computer games,,iPods,iPhones,or iPads.
Meaning beyond words: As young people can‟t bear such big stress, they try to do something
which will make them feel better to temporarily enjoy themselves and get rid of their parents.
get away from: avoid sth. That is difficult or unpleasant, or sth. That limits what one can do in some
way摆脱（困难或不愉快的事，或某种限制）Playing tennis is good exercise and also allows me
to get away from thinking about my
work.打网球是一项很好的运动，它也能让我不去想我的工作。
resort:vi.(fml.)(~to)do sth. Extreme or unpleasant in order to solve a
problem采取，诉说（不好的事物）I think we can solve this problem without resorting to legal
action.我认为我们可以不诉诸法律就解决这个问题。
distract: vt. get sb‟s attention and prevent them from concentrating on
sth.分散，转移（注意力）I decided to ignore the rumor as I did not want anything to distract me
from writing the paper.我决定对谣言不予理睬，因为我不希望有任何事打扰我写论文。
21
Likewise, their parents are feeling more anxious.(Para.7)
Meaning: Their parents become more restless as well.
Meaning beyond words: As their grown children would not listen to their advice, parents are
getting more worried about what direction their children may move to.
22
They may make allowances for a transition phase from student life to adult life, but they get
upset when they see the transition of their grown children's lives moving away from their
expectations and stretching five years to seven years, and beyond.(Para.7)
Meaning: Parents may accept their grown children to delay the transition period from student life to
adult life, but they find their children moving away from what they expected and when they extend
the period to too many years.
allowance:n.
1)(make ~s for) accept behavior that you would not normally accept because you know why sb. Has
behaved that way体量；原谅

You should make allowances for him; he‟s been quite ill
recently.你应该体谅他，他最近身体相当不适。
2)[C,usu,sing.] an amount of money that sb. Receives regularly in order to pay for the things they
need定期补贴；津贴
I couldn‟t have managed at college if I hadn‟t had an allowance from my
parents.如果没有我父母的补贴，我根本念不完大学
transition:n.[C,U] (fml.) the process of changing from one situation, form, or state to
another过渡；转变；变迁
The health-care system is in tremendous transition at the moment, but unfortunately not all of the
changes are positive for
patients.医疗保健系统目前正处于重大转变期，可是很不幸，不 是所有的改变都对病人有利
。
23
The parents don‟t even detect a clear sense of direction in their children‟s lives. They look at
them and see the things that are being delayed. (Para.7)
Meaning: The parents even lose track of their children's lives, so they just look at them and see how
the things that should be done are being postponed.
Meaning beyond words: Parents are very worried about their grown children's future but simply
don't know what to do to help.
24
It's hard to predict what's next. New guidelines haven't been established yet, and everything
seems to give way to a less permanent version of itself. (Para.8)
Meaning: It is hard to say in advance what will happen next. Since no new social rules or
instructions have been set up yet, everything seems to be temporary or unfixed.
predict: sth. That will happen before it happens 预言；预料；预测
It‟s still not possible to accurately predict the occurrence of
earthquakes.地震的发生仍然无法准确的预测。
Predict, anticipate
predict和anticipate 都是动词，都含有“预言；预料”之意。
1 predict 表示“预言；预料”之意时，往往是根据内心感受、经验、证据或迹象；anticipate
表示“预言；预料”之意时，往往根据以往的经验、自己的向往、设想来推测。例如:
In fact, no one can predict whether his idea will end up with a great success for our
business.事实上，没人能预测他的想法是否最终会使我们的业务取得成功。
I anticipate a lot of interest in my newspaper
advertisement.我预料我在报纸上登的广告会一起人们很大的兴趣。
2 predict是及物动词，后可接名词词组名词作宾语，后接动词不定式时常用语被动结构。
Unemployment is predicted to increase to 700,00 by the end of the
year.预计事业人口到今年年底将增至70万。
Anticipate
是及物动词，一般接名词、动名词或名词从句作宾语，可用于被动结构；anticipate
后不能跟动词不定式。
A good manufacturer must try to anticipate what his customers will want and decide what shall be
produced.一位优秀的制造商必须努力预料顾客需要什么，然后决定生产什么。
guideline: n. [C,usu,pl.] rules or instructions about the best way to do sth. 指导方针；指导原则

The European Union has issued guidelines for appropriate levels of pay for part- time manual
workers.欧盟已发布有关支付兼职体力劳工适当酬劳的指导原则。
give way to: be replaced by sth. else 被…取代
He was greatly disappointed over his boss‟ decision against giving him a pay raise, and soon his
disappointment gave way to
anger.他对老板不给他加薪的决定感到非常失望，很快他的失望变成了愤怒。
version: n.[C]
1) a form of sth. that is different from other forms or from the original版本；改编形式The
computerized version, which contains all the same information, costs only a 10
th
of the price of the
printed book.电脑版本包含了印刷本的所有信息，而成本只是印刷本价格的十分之一。
2) a description of tth. that happened according to one
person(根据个人的观点对事件的)描述，说法 I am inclined to accept the official version of the
many reports about how the events developed after the heavy rain flooded the
village.对大雨淹没后村庄后各种事件如何发展的众多报道中，我倾向于接受版本的报道。
25
There‟s been a shift in the status and balance of power between the genders, too. More women
are getting degrees than men.(Para.8)
Meaning: There‟s also been a change in the social status and power between male and female. Now
more women are getting degrees than men.
status: n. [U] sb.‟s position in a profession or society, esp. Compared to other
people社会地位（尤指与其他人相比）
Many wealthy people drive expensive cars as a sign of their high social
status.许多有钱人开昂贵的轿车作为他们社会地位高的标志。
26
Male wages have remained stable over the past decades, while female wages have boomed.
(Para.8)
Meaning: Male wages have remained steady over the past decades; in contrast, female wages have
been on the increase.
stable: a. Steady and not likely to move or change 稳定的；不变的
After several part-time jobs, he‟s now got a stable job in a
bank.做了几份兼职工作后，他现在在一家银行找到了一份稳定的工作。
boom: vi. (usu. In progressive) experience a period of economic success, with a lot of trade and
business activity (国家、地区或行业)繁荣，迅速发展
Because people have more money to spend and more vacation time to enjoy, the leisure industry in
this country is
booming.因为人们有很多的钱消费，有更多 的时间休假，这个国家的休闲产业正在蓬勃发
展。
27
Apart from anything else, this has had an implicit effect on courtship. Educated women can get
many of the things they want, such as security, accomplishment, and identity without
marriage.(Para.9)
Meaning: In addition to anything else, the delay has affected romantic relationships in a subtle way.
Unmarried but educated women can still have many of the things that they want, such as security,
accomplishment and identity.

Meaning beyond words: In terms of romantic relationships, educated women can always get more
advantages than men.
apart
Ad. Separated by a distance or , less commonly ,by time（空间、时间方面）成距离，相间隔
The two men, who had consumed too much alcohol and were now fighting, had to be dragged apart
in case they would hurt each other.
两个喝了很多酒的男人在打架，人们不得不把他们拖开，以防他们互相伤害。
a. Separate 分离的；分隔的
We‟ve been apart for too long, but we‟ll soon be together
again.我们已经分开太久，但我们将很快在一起。
apart from : (AmE) in addition to sb. or sth.
Apart from the international flight, the children have to pay for their own expenses on the trip
除了国际航班的飞机票，孩子们必须支付旅行中自己的花费。
have an effect on : make a change that is produced in one person or thing by another对…产生作用
The radiation leak after the earthquake had a disastrous effect on the people living in the affected
area as well as the environment.
地震后的辐射物泄露对居住在受灾地区的人们和灾区环境造成了灾难性的影响。
implicit: a.(fml.) forming a central part of sth. but without being openly stated
隐含其中；的不名言的
He interpreted her open comments as an implicit criticism of the
government.他把她的公开评论理解为对政府的含蓄的批评。
28
However, both genders are having a harder time finding suitable mates to build their lives with.
(Para.9)
Meaning: However, it has become difficult for both males and females to find their appropriate
partners whom they can build their future with.
Meaning beyond words: The difficulty for both genders to find a suitable spouse is caused by the
transition phase.
29
Considering all of this, it's beneficial to know that even though graduates are delaying many
things after college, surveys show they still hold highly traditional aspirations.(Para.9)
Meaning : When thinking about all of this, it‟s good to know that even if graduates are delaying
many things after college , surveys show they still keep highly traditional desires and goals.
considering: prep.& conj. Used to say that you are thinking about a particular fact when you are
giving your opinion考虑到；鉴于
She did well finding her way around the big city , considering she‟d only been there once before
考虑到她以前只去过那个大城市一次，她能找到路已经很了不起了。
30
For example, this contemporary generation rates parenthood even more highly than previous
generations did! (Para.9)
Meaning: Young people, for instance, think of parenting more important than previous generations
did.
Meaning beyond words: Young people think that the quality of their own parents' parenting was
inadequate and their own parenting should be of a higher quality.

contemporary: a. Belonging to the present time 当代的
Although the story was written more than a hundred years ago , it has a contemporary feel to
it.虽然这个故事是一个一百多年以前写的，但它还是给人一种当代的感觉。
31
This new phase will likely grow more pronounced in the coming years. (Para.10)
Meaning : This new phase in the development of young people will continue to spread and gain
easier recognition in the near future.
32
Nations around the world have witnessed similar trends toward delaying marriage between
higher education and settling down with a career and family.(Para.10)
Meaning: The whole world has noticed a similar tendency-grown children delay marriage and
spend more years than generations before them, wandering at higher education and settling down
with a career and family.
witness : vt.
1) used for saying that sth. happened at a particular time or in a particular place
是发生（某事件）的时间或地点。
The modern society has witnessed the increasing phenomenon of the single parent
family.现代社会已目睹了单亲家庭不断增加的现象。
2) see sth. happen , esp. a crime or an accident 目击，亲眼看见（尤指罪行或事故发生）
Several residents claim to have witnessed the attack.几位居民称目击了这个袭击事件。
33
Nevertheless, graduates shouldn‟t be deceived into thinking they can back off simply because
things have become more difficult.(Para.11)
Meaning : However, graduates shouldn‟t get the wrong assumption that they can give up because
things have become harder.
deceive: vt. make sb. believe sth. that is not true 欺骗
Advertisers are now forbidden to deceive customers with false
claims.现在已禁止广告商用不实之词来欺骗消费者。
deceive sb. into doing sth .: trick sb in order to make them do what you want them to do
欺骗某人做某事
I was in my room reading when the sound of the door closing deceive me into thinking my family
had gone out.我正在房间里看书时，关门的声音让我误以为我的家人都出去了。
Deceive, cheat
1 deceive
作及物动词用，表示欺骗； 蒙骗；行骗，指用虚假、哄骗、隐瞒等手段以假乱真，使人产
生误解或错觉而相信假的东西，上当受骗。
Honeyed words may deceive people for some time , but they cannot stand the test of time and
practice 花言巧语蒙骗人于一时，但是却经不起时间的实践的检验。
Cheat 作及物动词用时，表示欺骗；骗取，常指用不公平的手段、不诚实的方法骗取某物。
The greedy shopkeeper often cheats customers by selling fake goods
这个黑心的老板经常出手假货欺骗客户。
Cheat 作不及物动词用时，表示作弊。
He cheated on (in) the examination. 他考试作弊。
2 deceive 的施动者为enemy, rival, agent等，受动者常为受骗的对象如firm, purchaser,

shopper等，常用搭配为deceive sb into doing
sth ，介词into的宾语常为believing ,thinking ,buying ,selling等。
He deceived the shopkeeper into purchasing a large quantity of fake
commodities.他骗店主采购了大量的假冒商品。
Cheat 表示骗取时，其宾语一般是人。常用搭配为 cheat sb (out)of sth. 介词of后常接fortune,
wealth, achievement ,success等。
He cheated me (out) of my watch. 他骗走了我的手表。
back off : stop supporting sth , or decide not to do sth, you were planning to do 放弃；退出
Jerry backed off the project when he realized how much work was involved to do a good job
completing it.当杰瑞意识到需要多少工作量才能完成这个项目时，他放弃了。
34
A large number of people chasing relatively fewer opportunities can create string competitive
pressure.(Para.11)
Meaning : A large number of people competing for fewer jobs can put a lot of stress on young
people.
35
So, from the outset, keep you resume professional and up-to-date.(Para.11)
Meaning: Therefore, from the very beginning you need to keep your resume well-written, and you
must often revise it as necessary.
outset:n.(atfrom the ~) at or from the beginning of an event or process 从开头时；从一开始
Many customers have complained that there have been trouble with the new coffee shop right from
the outset of its opening day.很多客人都抱怨这个新咖啡店从开张起就一直麻烦不断。
resume:n.[C] (BrE CV) a short written account of your education and your previous jobs that you
send to an employer when you are looking for a new job 个人简历
To get only one interview, a college graduate must count on sending out at least one hundred
resumes.仅为得到一次面试，一个大学毕业生就必须发送至少一百分简历。
up- to-date a . Including all the latest
Information 包含最新消息的
Great trouble is taken to keep our textbooks op-to-date and keep their information
current.我们废了很大的力气来更新我们的教科书，并保证这些书的信息是最新的。
36
To reinforce this essential message, success moving through the odyssey years will come to
those who don't expect to achieve their goals right away but know that they must have the
strength ,capacity and confidence to endure over the long term.(Para.12)

Meaning: Success only belongs to those young people who are not too anxious about their
immediate achievements and who have long-term goals and fine qualities such as strength, capacity
and confidence in order to sustain through the long odyssey years.
reinforce: vt . Give support to opinion ,idea, or feeling and make it stronger
强化，加强（观点、思想或感觉）
His rude behavior at the party merely reinforced my previous dislike of
him.他在派队上的粗鲁行为只是增强了我对他以前就有的厌恶感。
37
Stay strong,be positive ,and keep focused! Someday you will look back and wonder at the vast

changes as you passed though the odyssey years.(Para.12)

Meaning: Remain strong, be positive, and keep focused on your goals. Someday when
you look back you would feel surprised at what you have achieved through the odyssey
years.
Wonder at: feel surprised and unable to believe sth.对…感到惊
讶
Visitors to mountainous areas tend to wonder at the speed with which the weather can
change in such areas.去山里观光的游客会对这个地区天气变化之快感到诧异。


Section B Finding my way back home
Reading skills
Understanding figurative language
Understanding figurative language is the reading skill introduced in this unit.
Figurative language uses words or expressions with a meaning that in different from the
literal interpretation. When a writer uses literal language, he is simply stating the facts
as they are. Figurative language, in comparison, uses exaggerations or alterations.
Figurative language is very common in poetry, but is also used in prose and nonfiction
writing

Background information
Global instability
With the ever-changing cultural and societal values people experience today, the best
measure of success is your ability to instability. From about 1946 to the 1960s people
enjoyed a stable era after World War II. Most people married young, settled down, had
children and chased the so-called American dream which was defined by material
possessions and a comfortable life. Beginning with the 1960s, young people were more
restless than their parents' generation; nevertheless, they still ended up pursuing the
dreams of their parents. Today's world, however, is marked by global economic
instabilities and faster than ever changes. For young people now, mobility is a more
desirable goal than stability. This is especially true for the odyssey years. The main
character in Text B is a typical young man with a rebellious heart, pride and arrogance.
Running away from home, he started his odyssey journey after he completed high
school. The adventure during this period provides young people with a good
opportunity to explore and speculate on their life goals. Consequently, the adventure
becomes a journey of self-discovery and self-awareness. A decade of wandering

frequently occurs between adolescence and adulthood.
Hitchhiking
The author ran away from home after he graduated from high school, trying to discover
himself through his exploration. He was hitchhiking on his way back home, trying to
get free rides from drivers of passing vehicles. The word hitchhiking is a compound
word composed of hitch (a form of travel in which the traveler tries to get a ride from
another traveler, usually a car or truck driver) and hiking (walking lengthy distances in
the countryside or wilderness). The word refers to a means of transportation that is
gained by asking people, usually strangers, for a ride in their automobile or other road
vehicles to travel a distance that may either be short or travel a distance that may either
be short or long. The latter may require many rides from different people; a ride is
usually, but not always, free. If one wishes to indicate that they need a ride, they must
simply make a hand gesture.

Detailed study of the text
1
”Dear Dad,” I wrote, “I want to come home from my exile.”(Para.1)
Meaning beyond words: The young man now regrets that he ran away from home.
exile：
n. [sing.U] a situation in which sb. Is forced to leave their country and live in another
country, because of some reasons, usu. For political
reasons流放，放逐，流亡（通常指因政治原因）
The king went into exile because the political situation in his country made it dangerous
for him to stay at
home.由于该国家的政治局势，留在国内会使国王处于危险境地，所以他流亡到
了国外。
Vt.（usu. Passive) force sb. To leave their country,esp. For political
reasons(尤指因政治原因而）迫使（某人）流亡国外
The monarch was exiled because of the coup.因为政变，君主被迫流亡国外。
2
After many hours of thinking as I sat by the side of a busy highway, I tore the page in
half and crushed into a small hall. I‟d started this letter many times but would always
fall into despair.
I wanted to go home- home to my parents and sisters, but would always hesitate...I
didn‟t know if it was feasible.(Para.1)
Meaning beyond words: The young man was having an inner struggle. On one hand,
he was anxious to go back to his home and reunite with his parents and sisters. On the
other hand, he was afraid of facing his parents. He hesitated and wondered whether he
was still allowed to return home.
fall into: start to have a particular mood, esp.
suddenly(尤指突然）陷入（某种心境）
The failure gave me such a strong feeling of frustration that I fell into a deep

pain.失败让我体验到了强烈的挫败感，我陷入深深的痛苦之中。
hesitate:vi. Pause before saying or doing sth. Because of nervousness and uncertainty
犹豫：迟疑
No matter what the request, as long as it‟s legal, don‟t hesitate to
ask.无论什么要求，只要是合法的，就要毫不犹豫的提出来
feasible:a. Possible or likely to succeed 可行的：可能的
With the extra resources and money, the plan to build a new school for the village now
seems
feasible. 有了额外的资源和资金，为了这个村庄筹建一所新学校的计划现在看来
似乎是可行的。
Usage NOTE
Feasible, possible

Feasible, possible都是形容词，都表示可能
1feasible指理论 上和操作上“可行的；行得通的”，强调是可以实现的、可执行的
、能被做或使完成的。
It‟s quite clear that the electric car is technically
feasible,相当明显，电动汽车在技术上使可行的。
2possible 指在“客观上可能存在或法伤的”，强调不确定性。例如
It‟s possible that the train will be delayed.列车将有可能晚点。
3 My parents had insisted I go to college; our family code demanded it but I was tired of school. I
hated it. I was determined not to go.（Para.2)
Meaning: Following the rules of our family tradition, my parents required me to go to college after
my high school graduation, but I was so bored with school already that I simple didn‟t want to go.
★code:n.
1)[C] a set of rules about how sth, should be done or how people should
behave.准则；规范；行为规范
All members of the association must adhere to a strict code of
behavior.该协会的所有成员必须遵守严格的行为准则。
2）[C.U] a system of words, letters, or symbols that you use instead of ordinary writing, so that you
use instead of ordinary writing, so that the information can only be understood by sb. Else who
knows the system密码；代码；代号
Goods that you order must have a product code.你订购的货物肯定都有产品代码。
★be tired of: be bored with sth. Because it is no longer interesting or has become
annoying对（做）某事感到厌烦
I think I need a vacation; I‟m so tired of doing the same job day after
day.我觉得我需要休假，我很厌倦日复一日做相同的工作。
4 And, besides, my father was too strict with me.(Para.2)
Meaning beyond words: He ran away from his family because he was bored with school and also
because his father was too tough on him.
★be strict with sb.: expect people to obey rules or do what you
say对（某人）严格；对（某人）严厉
My parents were very strict with me when I was young.我小的时候，父母对我非常严厉。
5 The allowance he gave me was pitiful. I had multiple jobs to do around the farm.I hated the work,

finding it hollow and dull! I was miserable.(Para.2)
Meaning: My father only gave me very little pocket money though I had to do various jobs on the
farm. The work on the farm was so meaningless and boring that I felt bad and unhappy.
Meaning beyond words: The young man can no longer bear such a life! It‟s just too much!
Note In American culture, parents usually give children some money for the household things they
help with. In the text, the young man also got some money from his father for the jobs he did the
family farm.
★hollow;a.
1)with no real meaning无意义的，虚有其表的
She had something of a hollow victor; she won the case but lost all her saving in legal
fees.这是一场没有意义的胜利-- 她胜诉了，但为支付法律费用，他失去了所有的积蓄
2）empty inside 空的；中空的，空心的
Hollow blocks are used because they are lighter.使用空心的砌块是因为它们更轻。
★miserable; a. Extremely unhappy or uncomfortable苦恼的；痛苦的；难受的
Living on her own makes her feel miserable because she is used to having the company
of her family。他自己一个人生活觉得很痛苦，因为她已习惯了有家人陪伴。
6
There had been a fight between my father and me. Like a volcano erupting, I
snapped.(Para.3)
Meaning: I had a heated argument with my father, consequently, I burst into anger, just
like a volcano exploding all of a sudden.
Meaning beyond words: The author uses a simile to vividly describe how angry he was
when arguing with his dad, like a volcano.
volcano:n.[C] a mountain that forces hot gas, rocks, ash and melted rock into the air
through a hole at the top火山
an extinctactivedormant volcano一个死活跃休眠火山
erupt;vi.
1) if a volcano erupts, it explodes inside and flames, rocks and melted rocks come out
of the top(火山）爆发，喷发
The volcano of Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980,and it devastated a large area of
Washington State1980年圣海伦火山喷发，摧毁了华盛顿大面积的土地。
2）if fighting, violence ,noise, etc. Erupt, it starts
suddenly(搏斗、暴力事件、噪音等）突然发生，爆发
At the end of a hot summer, violence erupted in the inner
cities.一个炎热的夏末，在内陆城市爆发了暴力事件。
snap;vi. Suddenly lose control and become extremely angry or upset because a
situation has become too annoying or difficult突然发怒；突然崩溃
There‟s no need to snap at me;it‟s not my fault that you lost your
wallet.没有必要对我发火，你丢钱包不是我的错。
7
I threw some things into a bag and left angrily. My father shouted after me, „If you
leave, don‟t come back!‟My mother cried and I have seen her grief and tears a hundred
times during sleepless nights.(Para.3)
Meaning beyond words: That was how he broke the tie with his family. Since then, he

had been in exile, away from home. However, he has been regretting his action and
thinking about home all the time.
8
The letter had to be written. (Para.4)
Meaning beyond words: No matter how hard and unpredictable finding his way home
was, he had to finish writing the letter.
9
It‟s been more than a year now. I‟ve traveled east to west. I‟ve had a series of jobs,
mostly manual labor, as a waiter in a banquet hall, as a maintenance man in a dairy
plant, and once as a desk hand on a commercial fishing boat. (Para.6)
Meaning beyond words: In the letter, he confessed to his dad that finding an ideal job
was extremely hard. He went to different places to try his luck after running away from
home over one year ago. He frequently changed his jobs but could never find the one he
liked.
★series;m.[C,](pl. Series)(a~of) a set of similar thing that follow one after
another系列；连续发生的一组类似事件
Last year, she gave a series of lectures about environmental protection which were well
received at various university campuses across the United
States.去年，她做了一系列有关环境保护的讲座，在没过各大学获得了不俗的
反响。
★manual;a, involving the use your hands or your physical strength rather your
mind手工的；体力的
Office work can sometimes be more tiring than manual
work.办公室工作优势比体力劳动更累。
★banquet;n.[C] a formal meal prepared for a large number of people on an important
occasion宴会，盛宴
Last night, the Prime Minister attended a state banquet at Buckingham
Palace.昨晚，首相在白金汉宫出席了国宴。
★maintenance;b.[U] work that is dome to keep a building, machine, or piece of
equipment repaired and in good
condition(建筑物、机械或设备的）维修、养护、保养
The magazine offers tips on cutting the cost of your home
maintenance,该杂志提供了如何削减房子的维修费用的秘诀。
★desk;n[C] the outside level of a ship that you can walk or sit on甲板
The upper desk of the ship was always full of people
smoking.船上的上层甲板上总是挤满了吸烟的人。
★desk hand;n.[C]（also deckhand)sb. who dose unskilled work on a
ship甲板水手；普通水手
He gained practical experience of sailing as a deck
hand。他作为水手获得了航海的实践经验。
★commercial;a. Related to business and the buying and selling of goods and
services商业的；商务的
Shanghai was and still is a major center of industrial and commercial activities in
China.

上海仍然是中国的一个工业和商业活动的重要中心。
10None of them amounted to very much. (Para.6)
Meaning; None of the jobs were of any value, significance or success.
Meaning beyond words; When the young man was at home, he considered all the jobs
on the farm boring and meaningless, but now when he was away from home, after
trying various jobs on his own, he still found that none of them were of ant value to him.
★not amount to muchanythinga great deal; not be important, valuable or
successful,etc.不太重要；没什么了不起
Although the young woman received passing grades in college, her academic
achievements don‟t amount to
much.虽然那位年轻女子拿到了大学合格的成绩，但她的学业成绩并不高。
11Always the same question；”How much education have you got?‟They always want
college graduates for the good jobs.(Para.6)
Meaning beyond words: The young man did all sorts of manual work and none of
them were of and value because good jobs always require college degrees.
12
Dad, I want to affirm this: You and Mother were right about everything, I know that
the work on the farm didn‟t hurt me. I‟ve met many people since I‟ve been away; some
were refined and others very coarse. I didn‟t know what home meant until I‟d been
away for a few months. My awareness has changed. I‟m convinced I can‟t be away
from my family any more.(Para.7)
Meaning: Dad. I want to assure you what you and mom said or did to me was
absolutely right. Only after I left home and met different people, kind or rude, did I start
to realize what home meant to me and believe that I could no longer be away from my
family,.
Meaning beyond words; The young man regretted what he had done to his father and
to the family. Now, he just wants to go back home and start a new life.
affirm;vt.(fml.)state publicly that is true 确认；证实，断言…属实
The robbery suspect a affirmed that he hand been at home all
evening,抢劫嫌疑人证实他整个晚上都在家。
USAGE NOTE
Affirm,confirm
Affirm和confirm都是动词，都表示确认事实，或事件的真实性
1
a ffirm的基本意思是根据事实、本人经历或对某事的确信而做出肯定的陈述，即
“断言”；而con firm的基本词义为提供证据来“证实、证明，确认”，证实某一信
息证实，可靠、有效、暗指消除所 有不确定性和一伙。例如
I dare not affirm whether we can use this word
here.我不敢确定我们是否能这样用这个词。
These new statistic confirmed our worst fears about the depth of the
recession.这些新的统计数据证实了我们对经济衰退之严重性的最坏担忧。
2af firm和confirm多用作及物动词，但也可用作不及物动词。两个词都不用于进
行时态，可直接 根宾语，但多数情况下接thatwh-从句。affirm还可以接to be
+n.a.充当宾语补足语。例如；

We can now confirm that all the spare parts you requested are
available.我们现在可以保证你们所要的零件都有现货。
We affirm these statements to be true。我们肯定自饿着说法是对的。


★refine:vt.
1)improve a method, plan, system, etc. by gradually making slight changes to
it(逐渐地、微小的）改进，完善
Engineers spent many months refining the new word processing
software.工程师花了好几个月的时间来改进这个新的文字处理软件。
2）make a substance purer using an industrial process进化；提炼
Before we can put it into our cars, petrol must be refined from the crude oil we take out of the
ground.从地上开采出来的原油必须先被提炼成汽油，才能供汽车使用。
★refined:a.
1)sb. who is refined is polite and seems to be well-educated or to belong to a high social
class优雅的；有教养的
The young girl is so refined in her manners that she always eats cake with a little
fork.这位年轻的女孩的举止时如此优雅，她总是用一个小叉子来吃蛋糕。
2）（usu. Before noun)a substance that is refined has been made pure by an industrial
process精炼的；精制的
Refined sugaroil精制糖精制油
★coarse:a.
1)talking in a rude and offensive way粗俗的；粗鲁的
She doesn‟t like people who talk in coarse language.她不喜欢言谈粗俗的人。
2)having a rough surface that feels slightly hard粗的；粗糙的
Never use coarse cleaning pods as this will scratch the
surface.请勿使用粗糙的去污抹布，以免刮伤物品表面.
13 I want to come home and bond with my family again. I;d like to go to college and learn how to be
an organic farmer, and then, if you‟ll let me, maybe I could farm with you.(Para.8)
Meaning; I want to go back home and be part of the family again. I‟ll go to college to acquire
knowledge about organic farming and later, if possible could work on the farm with you.
★bond with sb.:develop a close connection or strong relationship with
sb。（与某人）培养一种亲近或紧密的关系。
The hospital gives mothers quiet private time in which to bond with their
babies.医院给母亲安静的私人时间以帮助她们培养与婴儿的感情。
★organic:a. Relating to farming or gardening methods of growing food without suing artificial
chemicals, or produced or grown by these methods不使用化肥(农药）生产的；有机的；绿色的
More and more health-conscious mothers are buying only organic baby
food.越来越多有健康意识的母亲只购买有机婴儿食品。
14 I‟m on the road now, so you can‟t answer me by letter .But in a few days, I‟ll be passing by the
farm at night, And, Dad, I‟m asking you to allow me to come home to demonstrate that you‟ve
forgiven me by leaving the porch light on.(Para.9)
Meaning beyond words: He informed his father that he was on his way back home and would
arrive at one of the nights in the next few days. Since he was not sure and very nervous about

whether his father would forgive him, he suggested that his father leave the porch light on if he
allowed him to come back home. In this way, he wouldn‟t embarrass himself or cause an unpleasant
scene for his family.
★demonstrate:vt.
1)show or prove sth. clearly说明；证明；证实；论证
2)Research has demonstrated that babies can recognized their mother‟s voice very soon after
birth.有研究表明，婴儿出生后不久就可以辨认出自己母亲的声音。
3)Show or describe how to do sth. or how sth. Works示范；演示
Parents should often demonstrate to their children the right way to cross the road
safely.家长要常常对孩子示范安全过马路的正确方法。
15 If there is no light on, I‟ll resign myself to your decision and just keep on going. I‟ll
understand.(Para.9)
Meaning beyond words: If there is no light on in front of the porch, it means his dad did not forgive
home, but he will understand why his father would do so. Though sad and disappointed, he‟ll
respect his father‟s decision and continue his exile anyway.
★resign:v.
1)(~oneself to sth.)make oneself accept sth. That is unpleasant but can‟t be
changed使自己顺从于（做某事）；安于（无法改变的不愉快状况）
The soccer match did not go well for our team, but they refused to resign themselves to being
defeated.我们的足球队在比赛中没有踢好，可是他们拒绝承认自己被打败。
2）state officially that you have decided to leave your job or an
organization辞（职）；放弃（工作或职务）
He resigned from his current position at the company in order to take a more challenging job
elsewhere.他辞掉了目前在公司的职务，一边接受别的地方更具挑战性的工作。
Usage NOTE
resign, quit
1
resign和quit两 词都有“辞职；辞去”的意思，都可用作及物和不及物动词。resign是指“（正
式）辞职；放弃工 作或岗位”；quit是指“（非正式）离开工作岗位，学校等”，quit多用于口
语。同一件事情， 你要辞职，你去老板的办公室，应该说“Sir，I；m going to
resign.遇见了一个哥们，告诉他，你受够了，不干了，你就说：Hey, tell you what, I‟m gonna
quit.再例如：
He resigned his position as chairman of the commission.他辞去该委员会主席的职务。
Some students quit school due to poverty.一些学生因贫困而辍学。
2resign oneself to sth.还可表示“使自己听任；使自己顺从”，而quit不用于此意。
He is resigned to his resigned himself to his fate.他听天由命。
16Overnight, I tried to sleep on the grass by the road, but sleep did not come. I wondered what my
little sisters were doing and what wonderful food my mother was cooking.(Para.13)
Meaning beyond words: He tried to sleep but simply couldn‟t. It was not because he had to sleep on
the grass bu the road but because he was missing his family so much.
★overnight:ad, for or during the night 夜里； 在夜间
They like to travel overnight instead of during the day.他们喜欢在夜间旅行，而不是白天。

17 I couldn‟t bear my restless thoughts any longer. I roused myself and stared down the long road

home. But was it still my home?(Para.14)
Meaning:I couldn‟t stand the anxiety about seeing my family, so I cheered myself up and got back
on the road heading to my home right away though I was not sure if I still belong to the family.
Usage NOTE
Bear
Bear表示“忍受；忍耐：容忍”之意时，通常用于否定句，后接名词、动名词或 者动词不定
式作宾语，例如：
I couldn‟t bear not seeing my family again.我不能忍受再也见不到我的家人。
I must go to see a dentist right away because I can hardly bear to feel the pain from my tooth any
longer.我必须马上去看牙医，我不能再忍受我的牙疼了。
★restless：a. not willing or able to still because you‟re nervous, bored, or
impatient焦躁不安的，不耐烦的
The little girl was frightened by the night-time thunder storm, and she spent a restless night, tossing
and turning.小女孩被夜里的雷雨吓坏了，整夜都没睡安稳，不断地翻来覆去，
★rouse:vt.
1)make sb. become active, esp. when they are tried, lazy, or unwilling to do
sth.激励，使振奋（尤指对方很疲倦或不愿意做某事时）
The speaker attempted to rouse the crowd with a cry for
action.演讲者试图功过呼吁行动来激励人群。
2）（fml.）wake sb. who is sleeping deeply唤醒
The annoying telephone roused me from my sleep at 6
a.m.这个恼人的电话在早上6点就把我从睡梦中惊醒。
18 A police car stopped and the deputy offered me a ride. It was good to have someone to talk with.
“Where‟re you going, son?”he asked. Somehow, he reminded me of my own father.(Para.15)
Meaning beyond words: Sitting in the car, a free ride given by the police officer, he felt so good to
have someone to talk to, especially when he was nervous and anxious about going back home. For
whatever reason, he couldn‟t help thinking about his own father when talking to the officer, perhaps
because of his sincerity and kindness.
★deputy:n.[C]
1)sb, whose job is to help a sheriff in the US(美国）县治安官助理
In the US, small rural counties usually have one sheriff and a few
deputies.在美国，通常一个乡村小县有一个警长和几个警官。
2）sb. who is directly below another person in rank, and who is officially in charge when that
person is not there代理人，副手，副职
When the accident happened on the highway that day, the only person who could take care of the
accident was the
deputy.那天当高速公路晚上发生事故时，唯一可以处理事故的人是那个副手。
Note In the United States, a sheriff（警长）
is a county official and is typically the top law enforcement officer of a county. The law
enforcement agency headed by a sheriff is typically referred to as a sheriff‟s office or sheriff‟s
department, Officers sheriff‟s deputy, deputy sheriff, sheriff‟s police, or sheriff‟s officer because
they work for the sheriff and perform all the duties assigned to the sheriff by that state‟s law.
★offergive sb. a ride: give sb, a free journey in your vehicle开车捎某人一段路程
If you have no transportation of your own, I‟ll be happy to give you a ride to

work.如果您没有自己开车，我会很乐意开车送您去工作。
Note 如果想表示“请某人开车捎一段路程”，则可以用ask sb. for a ride,例如：
My car is still in the repair shop. May I ask you for a ride home?
我的车还在汽车修理店，请问您可以开车送我回家吗？
★somehow;ad
1)for some reason that is not clear to you or you do not know
how由于某种不明原因；不知为什么
Somehow, I just don‟t think it will work.不知道为什么，我总觉得那样行不通。
2)in some way, or by some means, although you do not know how用某种方法；不知怎么地
Don‟t worry, we‟ll get the money back somehow.别担心，我们总会把那些钱拿回来的。
19He seemed truly interested. There was real integrity in his face.(Para.18)
Meaning: He seemed to be very interested in the conversation, and, to me, he was trustworthy as
well.
★integrity:n.[U] the quality of being honest and strong about what you believe to be
right耿直；正直；诚实
You can always rely on John‟s word; he‟s a person of great integrity and will say exactly what he
thinks.你总能够相信约翰的话，他是一个非常正直的人，他所说的正是他所想的。
20“All over, “I said.(Para.19)
“Been away form home long?”(Para.20)
“A year, one month and two days.”I said.(Para.21)
He didn‟t look at me, but he smiled, and I knew he understood.(Para.22)
“You‟re a fine boy,” he said.(Para.23)
Then he told me about his own two sons,” My older son ran away from home two years ago-two
years and 15 days,” He looked away and then said, “I hope someday somebody will be nice to him,
too.”(Para.24)
Meaning beyond words: All the paragraphs parent us a common but very touching conversation
between the young man and the deputy. The young man found in the deputy an image of his own
father: kind, understanding, and honest. Likewise, the deputy seemed to know much about the
young man because his own son had also run away from home. Through the conversation, the image
of his father now became completely different to him.
21 Two days later, I was on the road within 50 miles of home. A big truck with a cargo trailer slowed
and stopped. I ran and got in from the heat. The air-conditioning felt good.(Para.25)
Meaning: Two days after, I was just 50 miles away from home when a truck loaded with goods
drove along and stopped slowly in front of me. I dashed and climbed in to the car to escape the heat
from the was much cooler inside the car with the AC on,
★cargo;n.[C,U]the goods that are being carried in a ship, plane or
truck（船、飞机或卡车装载的）货物
This aircraft is for passengers only, it doesn‟t take any
cargo.这架飞机是载客的，不带任何货物。
★air- conditioning:n.[U] a system that makes the air in a room or building cooler and
driver空调系统
All rooms in this hotel have direct dial telephone, radio, color TV, and
air- conditioning.该旅馆所有的客房必须设有直拨电话、收音机、彩电和空调。
22 Somewhat later rain began to fall, slowly at first, and then hard enough to soak the earth. I drifted

off to sleep and woke feeling refreshed.(Para.26)
Meaning: Later in the day, it started to rain. It was light at the beginning but gradually became
heavier till the earth absorbed the rain water. I feel asleep and was more energetic when I woke up.
Meaning beyond words: The heavy rain and the feeling of being refreshed can be used to depict
the young man‟s complicated mood-heavy at first but lighter toward the end. The cue here is that he
became more positive and confident as he was getting closer to his home.
★somewhat: ad. more than a little but not very有点儿，有几分
The reaction of the workers to our proposal was somewhat different from what we had expected.
工人对我们的建议所作出的反应与我们的预期有点不同。
★soak:v.
1)make sth, very wet or become very wet(使）湿透；浸湿
I hope you didn‟t get soaked standing out in the rain.我希望你站在雨中没被淋湿。
2）put sth into a liquid and leave it there for a period of time浸；泡，先把它们浸泡一夜。
drift：vi move slowly on the water or in the air(慢慢地）漂移，漂流
After the band stopped playing, people drifted away in twos and
threes.乐队停止演奏后，人们三三两两的离去。
drift off: gradually fall asleep慢慢入睡
As the old man was sitting in the warm afternoon sun,he grew tried and drifted off into a sleep.
老人坐在温暖的午后阳光下，觉得很疲倦，就慢慢的入睡了。
★refresh:vt. Make sb. Feel less tired or less hot使回复精力，使清凉
It was such a hot night that I took a cold shower to refresh
myself.这是一个如此炎热的夜晚，我洗了一个冷水澡了来清凉一下。
★refreshed:a. feeling more lively and comfortable after you have rested, washed, eaten
etc.精神振作的；精力恢复的
He felt refreshed after a bath.洗完澡后他觉得精神多了。
23 We were nearing my family‟s farm. I was awake and alert. Would there be a light shining on the
porch? It was torture to look and O couldn‟t bear to do it.. Suddenly, we were there. I surrendered
myself to my fate!(Para.27)
Meaning beyond words: When the young man was approaching his home, he was so anxious to
learn about his father‟s attitude to his coming back home that it was just like torture to him. He felt
he was simply not in control to him. He felt he was simply not in control of his own fate at that
moment
★alert:a. Giving all your attention to what is happening警惕的；警觉的
A couple of alert readers wrote to the paper pointing out the mistake they had
seen.几个警觉的读者给报纸写信，指出了他们看见的错误。
★torture:
N.[C,U] severe physical or mental suffering（身心所受的）折磨，煎熬
The kidnapped victims were eventually released after undergoing terrifying
torture。经历了可怕的折磨后，这些被绑架的受害者最终被释放了。
Vt. hurt a person deliberately in a very cruel way, esp. As a punishment or in order to make them say
sth,拷打，拷问，对...施酷刑逼供
Three members of the group had been tortured to death.该团体中有三人被拷打致死。
★surrender；v. say officially that you want to stop fighting, because you realize that you can‟t
win投降

On the battlefield, the soldiers would rather die than
surrender.在战场上，那些士兵宁愿死也不愿投降。
★surrenders oneself to sth.: allow oneself to be controlled or influenced by
sth.听任某事摆布；屈服于某事
After his beloved child died of cancer, the father surrendered himself to despair adn eventually
committed suicide.在他最疼爱的孩子死于癌症后，这位父亲彻底绝望了，最终自杀。
24 The truck drivers and said,” Look at that, would you! Just like in a fairy tale! That house there,
the one just over there! Four bamboo cane chairs are sitting on the porch, with lighted lamps in
every one of them, and an old man, as still as a statue, is out there with a flashlight aimed toward the
road. AND, the porch light is on, too!”(Para.28）
Meaning beyond words: In contrast to the young man‟s nervousness, the truck driver was relaxed.
He first mentioned bamboo chairs with lighted lamps, then an old man just like a statue, and finally
the porch light! The description of the image of the father had a deep feeling toward his son and did
not hesitate to welcome toward his son back home. Furthermore, the image of the road, could be
depicted as opening his arms to embrace his lost son who had run away from home.
Sentence structure NOTE
“with+名词代词+介词词组”作独立主格结构
“wi th+名词代词+介词词组”构成with独立主格结构，主要用作状语，可以表示伴随、方式
、原因、 时间或条件。例如：
With a cell phone in his hand, he was walking out of the classroom to answer the
phone.他手里拿着手机正走出教室去接听电话，（表示伴随）
The old man stood there, with his back against the
wall老头站在那里，背靠着墙。（表示方式）
With production up by 60 percent, the company has had another excellent
year.由于产量增长了60%,公司又经历了一个极好的年头。（表示原因）
With the meal in the end, John now had enough energy to continue working till late
evening.有了中午休息，约翰现在有足够的精力继续工作到夜晚。（表示条件）


Part Ⅱ Key to exercises
Section A
Language focus
3
Words in use
1peculiar 2radical 3phase 4sensible 5predict 6labeled
7resent 8witnessed 9equivalent 10parallels

4
Word building
Words learned new words formed
-ic

Chaos chaotic
Drama dramatic
Academic academy
-ion
Depress depression
Detect detection
Erode erosion
Classify classification
Confusion confuse
Cooperation cooperate
Dictation dictate
-ist
Right rightist
Journalist journal
5
1 journal 2 chaotic 3 cooperate 4 erosion 5 dramatic 6 confuse 7
academy 8 rightist 9 depression 10 dictate 11 detection 12 classification

6 Banked cloze
1K 2E 3A 4C 5L 6I 7G 8N 9H 10O

7
Expressions in use
1 saddled with 2 back off 3 give way to 4 resorted to 5 make allowances for 6
wonder at 7prior to 8 based uponon
Translation
9 作为美国文化价值体系的一个重要组成部分，“个人主义”受到大多数美国人的
推崇，美国人认为家 庭作为一个群体，其主要目的是促进家庭各成员的幸福。
与许多其他文化相比，美国家庭成员主要职责， 不是在社会上或经济上抬高整
个家庭的地位。人们通常认为，什么是对个人最好的要比什么是对家庭最好 的
更为重要。与自由相伴而来的是照顾自己的责任，即必须接受自己的选择所带
来的后果。许多 美国人给他们的孩子很多的自由，因为他们希望孩子们能够独
立自力更生。在美国人强调个人自由的同时 ，父母与孩子间的信念也对美国家
庭产生了巨大的影响。
10
Filial piety is the basic code of ethics in the ancient Chinese society. Chinese people
consider filial piety as the essence of a person's integrity，family harmony，and the
nation's well-being. With filial piety being the core of Confucian ethics，It has been

the moral standard for the Chinese society to maintain the family relationship for
thousands of years. It‟s undoubtedly a traditional Chinese virtue. The cultural of filial
piety is a complex concept，rich in content and wide in range. It includes not only
ideas but also institutional etiquettes. Generally speaking，it refers to the obligation of
children to their parents required by the society，including respect ，care，support for
elderly and so forth. Filial piety is fundamental to ancient “Oriental civilization”.

Section B
Reading comprehension
2

1A 2C 3D 4A 5B 6D 7D 8C

Language focus
4
1 hollow 2 restless 3 demonstrate 4 exiled 5 miserable 6 commercial 7 hesitated
8 erupt 9 refine 10 feasible
5
1 are tied of 2 fall into 3 be strict with 4 not amount to

much 5 drifted off 6
bonded with 7 resign himself to 8 surrender themselves to
Collocation
7
1 fluid journey
2 enormous pressure
3 contemporary generation
4 rebellious attitude
5 peculiar challenge
6 equivalent need
7 radical change
8 traditional aspirations
8
1 fluid 2 contemporary 3 radical 4 enormous 5 prideful 6 competitive 7
rebellious 8 transition 9 unavoidable 10 traditional 11 unique 12 peculiar