新视野大学英语第二册Un

新视野大学英语第二册Unit-1

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Section A. Time-Conscious Americans

Introduction: This is an expository essay. The author explains a social phenomenon in the U.S. ----Americans are time-conscious. He presents why and how Americans save time carefully by using examples and cause-effect analysis. In some paragraphs, the author’s statement is presented at the beginning and supported with specific details, and then the reason is given briefly. The article can be divided into 3 parts:

Part 1 (Para 1-2) Americans save time carefully and treat it as if it were real – a precious resource.

Part 2 (Para 3-7 ) Why & how Americans work hard at the task of saving time.

Part 3 (Para 8) It is taken as a sign of skillfulness or being competent to solve a problem or fulfill a job with speed in the U.S.

I. New words

1. budget ①n. 预算，拨款

搭配：balance one’s budget 平衡预算

within / below budget 低于预算 a family budget 家庭预算

②v.(for)做预算，盘算，安排 e.g.: He budgeted for buying a house ③a. 便宜的，合算的

e.g.: a budget dress 便宜的服装 ④budgetary (budget + ary) a. 预算上的

2. acute ①灵敏的，敏感的

e.g.: Dogs have an acute sense of smell. ②严重的，剧烈的 搭配：acute pain 剧痛

an acute lack of water 严重缺水

③acuteness n. 敏锐 ④辨析：acute, sharp, keen acute指五官，感觉，智力的敏锐

sharp有刃的，锋利的，也指思想敏锐，语言尖锐 e.g.: a sharp knife 一把锋锐的小刀 a sharp tongue 刮嘴

keen锋利的，敏锐的与sharp与acute的意思相同还可表示热心的、着迷的

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3. replace ①vt. 把…放回原处，取代

e.g.. She replaced the book on the shelf. ②vt. 取代，替代 (take the place of)

e.g.: He has replaced Mr. Brown as President.

他取代布朗先生当了董事长。 ③辩析：substitute, replace

[动词]substitute A for B = replace B with/by A

[名词]substitute of A for B = replacement of B by/with A e.g.: She substituted honey for sugar.

She replaced sugar with honey. 她用蜂蜜替代糖。

4. abrupt ①a. 突然的，意外的

e.g.: The meeting came to an abrupt end an abrupt change of policy 突然改变政策 ②a. （举止、言谈等）粗鲁的，鲁莽的

e.g.: When l asked her about her new job, she was quite abrupt

with me.

[辩析]abrupt. Rude

(1) rude 指别人态度粗鲁，缺乏必要的礼貌用语，称呼或温和的态度等； (2) abrupt 则侧重指由于过于突然或缺乏事先考虑而表现出来的不够礼貌。

5. brief ①n. 摘要

in brief (to be brief) = in short; in as few words as possible 简要言之 the news in brief 新闻提要 ②v. 向…做简介 ③a. 简洁的，短暂的

e.g.: His explanation was brief and to the point

他的说明既简洁又切题。 ④briefly ad 简单地说 brevity n. 简短

briefcase n. 文件箱，公文包

6. opening ①a. 初始的 opening words/remarks 开场白

②n. 开始；职位，空缺

e.g.: the opening of a book, speech, film, etc

书（讲语或电影的开头）

There are few openings in publishing for new graduates

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出版社能为新毕业的大学生提供的空缺职位极少。

7. interact n. 交流；相互作用（影响）；合作

inter(…之面) + action(作用)→interaction

human – computer interactirn 人机对话，人机交流 搭配：interaction with

e.g.: Increased interaction between the police and forces world improve

the rate of solving crimes.

警民之间加强合作，将有助于提高破案率。 interact v.

interact with / against 相互作用；互动

8. convention h. 会议，惯例；公约；习俗。-al. adj.

搭配：an international convention 一项国际协定（惯例） according to the convention 照惯例 a conventional greeting 客套的问候

e.g.: It’s the convention for men to wear suits on formal occasions. 男子在正式场合穿西装是一种惯例。

9. leisure n. 空闲，悠闲

搭配：at leisure 有空，闲暇时，从容地 at one’s leisure 当某人空闲时

e.g.: They are seldom at leisure 他们很少有闲暇的时候 I’ll take the report home and read it at my leisure. 我要把报告带回家，有空时读。

10. assess vt. 估价，估计

assessment n. 估价，评价 self-assessment 自我评价

e.g.: He is so lazy that it’s difficult to assess his ability. 他懒得很，很难对他的能力作出评估。 It is too early to assess the effects the new law. 要评价新法令的效果，现在还为时过早。

[辩析]assess, access, excess assess v. 估价，评估 access n. 接近，入口，通道 excess n. 超时，过量，过剩

11. surroundings (pl.)n. 周围的事物，环境

e.g.: Animals in zoo are not in their natural surroundings.

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动物园的动物没有生活在它们的自然环境里。

[辩析]surroundings, environment, circumstances

(1) surroundings 以复数形式出现，指周围具体的，特质性的东西。

(2) environment 不用复数，是环境的复称，指特定的，能对人的发展产生影响的自然环境或生活的环境条件。

(3) circumstances 常为复数形式，强调动作或事情发生的环境或情况。 12. electronic adj. 电子的，和电子设备有关的。 （搭配）an electronic calculator 电子计算器 electronic music 电子音乐 electronic engineer 电子工程师 electronic mail = E-mail 电子邮件 electronics 电子学 electricity 电

13. conduct ①v. 指导，引导，传导（电、热等）

e.g.: The manager conducted his business carefully.

Plastic and rubber won’t conduct electricity, but copper will. 塑料和橡胶不导电，但是铜能导电。 ② n. 行为；经营，管理

（搭配）good (bad) conduct 好（坏）品行

under the conduct of …在…引导下 the conduct of state affairs 国事的处理

③派生词 conductor 管理人，指挥，售票员

conductive 有传导力的

14. obtain vt. 获得，得到

e.g.: He always manages to obtain what he wants.

他想要的他怎能得到。

Ordinary people will then be able to use the Internet obtain

valuable information.

到那时普通老百姓将能使用因特网去获取有用的信息。

辩析：obtain, achieve, get, acquire, gain

obtain 表示经过艰苦努力，得到期望已久的东西。 achieve 指经过努力获得成功等。

get 得到，买到，获得可以用在各个方面，是个常用词。

acquire 多用于通过不断地“学”、“问”等获得“学问、技术”等较抽象的东西。 gain 含义较obtain更进一层，表示付出更大努力才能获得的常译为“赢得”。

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