Going Home

一、学习目标
1. 四、六级词汇和短语
approach, brightly, dusty, exclaim, handle, mask, mysterious, painfully, retreat, root, sometime, stun, tighten, vanish
dream of, pull into, take back, come through, be caught up in, take over, make one’s way
2. 结构与句式
3. 同义辨析
4. 提高英语听力（九）
5. 阅读理解阅读技巧 （九）
6. 提高英语写作 （九） 句子写作 （九）

二、写作赏析
本文按时间和空间顺序进行描写。按时间顺序可分为两部分：第一部分写第一天的情况，是课文的第一至第六段；第二部分写第二天的情况，课文的第七段至最后。如果按空间顺序可分为三部分：第一段为第一部分，写从纽约上车；第二部分为文章的第二至第十六段，写在旅途上；第三部分即第十七和十八段，写抵达布伦斯威克。
本文为记叙文。文中运用了大量分词短语和对话，人物形象鲜明生动，富有感染力。作者还通过Vingo的怪异举止和心酸身世，制造悬念，使读者急切想知道Vingo的命运如何，直到文章结尾情节达到高潮时，读者才松口气，也不禁为人生的悲欢际遇而感慨不已。

三、学习策略和方法
（一） 词汇记忆
（二） 课文学习
Decide the following statements are true or false.
1. The people in the story were traveling on the bus from New York to Florida.
2. Vingo’s unusual appearance and complete silence made the young people wonder about him from the very beginning.
3. Out of curiosity the group of young people managed to engage Vingo in a conversation.
4. Vingo reluctantly told his story to one of the girls in the group.
5. Vingo had been in jail for nearly one year.
6. Vingo’s wife told him that she wanted to marry someone else and he could do nothing but give consent.
7. Vingo didn’t know whether or not his wife wanted to come home when he got out of jail.
8. Vingo told his wife to tie a red handkerchief round the old oak tree if she wanted him to come home.
9. All the young people on the bus got very much involved in watching for the oak tree.
10. When the old oak, covered with yellow handkerchiefs, came in sight, all the people, including Vingo, shouted and jumped for joy.

四、课文辅导
（一）内容概述
在从纽约开往弗罗里达汽车上的乘客中，有一群年轻人和一个沉默寡言的囚犯，他叫文戈。年轻人对他很好奇，后来他们中间一个女孩友善的关切使文戈对他讲述了自己的故事。文戈在狱中一直没有和他妻子联系，但在出狱前还是给妻子写了封信，问她是否还要他。他告诉他妻子，如果她还要他回去的话，就在房前的树上挂一条黄手绢。他的经历引起了人们更大的兴趣。乘客们都急切地等候文戈家的到来。终于到文戈家了，乘客们惊喜地发现房前那棵老树上挂满了黄丝带。
（二）背景知识
1. 弗罗里达和阳光带
位于墨西哥湾东面的弗罗里达州，属亚热带气候，风景秀丽，气候宜人，尤其是阳光灿烂，被誉为“阳光之州”（the Sunshine State）。每年十一月到次年三月，爱好日光浴的美国人大批涌向迈阿密州海滩和棕榈海滩等风景点，享受阳光之乐。
2. 假释
假释是一个法律术语， 是指将犯人在刑满之前予以释放出狱。这种做法是对在狱中表现良好的犯人的一种奖励。假释犯人并不具有完全的人身自由，在假释期间必须接受假释官员的监督，并定期向假释官员汇报，直到刑满结束。如果假释犯人在假释期间表现不好，将会重新入狱。
（三）重点词汇精讲
1. mystery n. 神秘的事物；奥秘；秘密
[举例] the mystery / mysteries of life生命的奥秘
His past is shrouded in mystery. 他的过去使人琢磨不透。
[派生] mysterious adj. 神秘的；不可思议的
[举例] a mysterious event神秘的事件
He was being very mysterious, and wouldn’t tell me what he was up to.
他神秘莫测，不告诉我他想干什么。
2. sometime adv. 在某个时候
[举例] I saw him sometime last summer.
去年夏天的某个时候我曾经见过他。
[比较] sometimes adv. 有时候；间或；偶尔
[举例] Sometimes we went to the beach and at other times we sunbathed on the patio.
我们有时去海滩，有时在院子里做日光浴。
3. tide n. 潮汐；潮流；动向
[举例] at high / low tide在高/低潮时
The tide turned for our favour.
形势变得对我们有利。
[词组] go / swim with / against the stream / tide 顺应潮流/反潮流；随/不随大流
[谚语] Time and tide wait for no man. 岁月不等人。
4. vanish v. 消失；消逝
[举例] The thief vanished into the crowd. 那小偷消失在人群中。
vanish into thin air消失得无影无踪
5. dusty adj. 布满灰尘的
[举例] a dusty room布满灰尘的房间
In the summer the town becomes very dusty.
夏天城里到处都是灰尘。
[派生] dust n. 尘土，打扫
6. mask n. 面具；口罩；面罩
[举例] Many of the dancers at the fancy dress ball wore colourful masks.
化装舞会上的许多跳舞者戴着五颜六色的面具。
Surgeons wear masks to prevent the spread of infection.
外科医生带着卫生口罩，以防止传染病的传播。
v. 掩盖；掩饰
His smile masked his anger.
他的微笑掩饰了他的愤怒。
7. root v. (使)生根；(使)固定
[举例] This type of plant root easily.
这种植物容易生根成长。
Fear rooted him to the spot.
他吓得呆若木鸡。
Her affection for him is deeply rooted.
她对他矢志不移。
n. 根，根部
[联想] stem n. 茎，干 lateral shoot n. 侧枝 leaf n. 叶子 fruit n. 果实 flower n. 花朵
bud n. 花蕾 trunk n. 树干 branch n. 树枝 bark n. 树皮 twig n. 嫩枝，小枝
8. brightly adv. 明亮地
[举例] a brightly lit room 照得明亮的房间
[派生] bright adj. 明亮的，鲜艳的，光明的，聪明的
brightness n. 明亮，聪明
9. retreat v. 退缩；退却，撤退
[举例] The enemy retreated two miles.
敌人撤退了两英里。
Retreat from the public eye
避开公众的眼睛
10. painful adj. 令人疼痛的，痛苦的；费事的，麻烦的
[举例] My shoulder is still painful.
我的肩还很疼。
Stripping the paint off the wall is a painful task.
剥除墙壁上的漆皮是一件很麻烦的事。
11. painfully adv. 痛苦地
[举例] Her thumb is painfully swollen.
她的大拇指肿痛难忍。
become painfully aware of sth 意识到某事而感到痛苦
[派生] pain n. 疼痛，痛苦
painful adj. 疼痛的，痛苦的
12. exclaim v. 惊叫，呼喊
[举例] He could not help claiming at how much his son had grown.
他的儿子已经长那么高了，他不禁惊叫起来。
He claimed that it was untrue.
他大声说那不是事实。
[派生] exclamation n. 呼喊，惊叫；感叹语
exclamatory adj. 呼喊的，感叹的
13. approach v. 接近，靠近
[举例] As you approach the town the first building you see is the church.
接近那座市镇的时候，首先看到的就是教堂。
Few writers even begin to approach Shakespeare’s greatness.
莎士比亚的伟大，鲜有作家能望其项背。
n. 接近；道路；方法
Heavy footsteps signaled the teacher’s approach.
沉重的脚步声显示老师已经走近了。
All the approaches to the palace are guarded by troops.
通往宫殿的道路都有部队把守。
a new approach to language teaching语言教学的新方法
14. handle n. 把手；把柄
v. 抓，拿；管理；操纵；对待
[举例] Fragile ----- handle with care.
易碎品----- 小心轻放。
An officer must know how to handle his men.
当军官的应懂得怎样统帅士兵。
The speaker was roughly handled by the mob.
演说者受到暴民的粗暴对待。
15. tighten v. 使变紧，使严格
[举例] tighten (up) the ropes 拉紧绳子
Controls have gradually tightened.
控制逐渐加强。
[派生] tight adj. 紧的，紧密的
tightly adv. 紧紧地，紧密地
16. stun v. 将… 打昏；使… 震惊
[举例] The punch stunned me for a moment.
那一拳把我打得昏了一阵。
I was stunned by the news of his death.
我得知他的死讯十分震惊。
（四）重点词组
1. dream of 向往，渴望，梦想
[举例] Both Israeli people and Palestinian people are dreaming of peace.
以色列人和巴勒斯坦人都向往和平。
The ugly Mary is always dreaming of becoming a movie star.
丑陋的玛丽总是梦想成为一名影星。
2. pull into 驶入，到达
[举例] As the train pulled into the platform, there was a rush to get seats.
当列车驶进站台时，人们争先恐后地去抢座位。
3. take back 允许… 回来，接受
[举例] Mr. Smith declared that he would never take back his daughter again.
史密斯先生声明他再也不会让他女儿回家了。
How I longed for the power to take back my tactless words.
我多么希望能收回我那些不得体的话呀！
4. come through 如所预料地到来
[举例] Have your examination results come through yet?
你的考试结果收到了没有？
News has just come through that the man has been caught.
刚有消息传来，说那人被抓到了。
5. be caught up in 对…入迷
[举例] His whole family were all completely caught up in a football game when the building collapsed.
当房屋倒塌时，他们一家都沉浸在一场足球比赛中。
Many high school students are caught up in TV games, which makes the parents feel annoyed.
许多中学生沉迷于电子游戏，这使父母们大为恼火。
6. take over 占有，接管
[举例] The Red Army easily took over the city.
红军轻而易举地攻占了这座城市。
The Chinese government took over Hong Kong on July 1, 1997.
中国政府于1997年7月1日收回香港。
7. make one’s way 去，前往
[举例] When the movie ended, I made my way out of the cinema.
电影结束时我走出大厅。
（五）句子
1. They were going to Fort Lauderdale ------ three boys and three girls ------ and when they boarded the bus, they were carrying sandwiches and wine in paper bags, dreaming of golden beaches and sea tides as the gray, cold spring of New York vanished behind them.
三个男孩和三个女孩打算去罗德代尔堡。他们用纸袋装着夹心面包和葡萄酒上了汽车。当纽约灰暗寒冷的春天在他们身后渐渐消失时，他们正梦想着金色的海滩和大海的潮水。
这个句子结构比较复杂。首先应明确一点，它是一个由and连接的并列复合句。在and之前的分句中，three boys and three girls 作they的同位语，补充说明主语they; 在and之后的句子中，有一个when引导的时间状语从句when they boarded the bus, 现在分词短语dreaming of golden beaches and sea tides as the gray, cold spring of New York vanished behind them作伴随状语，在此状语中，as 引出一个时间状语as the gray, cold spring of New York vanished behind them.
2. He sat in front of them, dressed in a plain, ill-fitting suit, never moving, his dusty face masking his age.
他坐在他们前面，一动也不动。穿着一身不合身的便服，风尘满面的脸掩盖了他的真实年龄。
本句的主句为He sat in front of them, 余下的dressed in plain, ill-fitting suit, never moving, his dusty face masking his age为分词短语，作伴随状语，其中his dusty face masking his age 为分词结构中的一个特殊现象---- 独立主格结构。
3. He sat rooted in his seat, and the young people began to wonder about him, trying to imagine his life: perhaps he was a sea captain, a runaway from his wife, an old soldier going home.
他像生了根似地坐在座位上，几个年轻人开始诧异起来，试图弄清他的身世：或许是为商船船长，或是一个弃家出走的男人，再就是一个退伍回家的老兵。
这个句子结构比较复杂。首先，它是一个由and连接的并列复合句，在and之前的句子中，rooted in his seat这个过去分词短语作主语补语，修饰主语he；在and之后的句子中，现在分词trying to imagine his life … 作伴随状语。另外，现在分词短语going home作定语，修饰 an old soldier。
4. He seemed very shy, and ordered black coffee and smoked nervously as the young people chattered about sleeping on beaches.
他好像很害羞，要了杯黑咖啡，在年轻人喋喋不休地谈论着露宿沙滩的乐趣时，他却紧张不安地吸着烟。
注意句中连续使用了三个动词seemed, ordered, smoked, 表示“他”一系列的动作，另外，有as引导的从句as the young people chattered about sleeping on beaches在句中作时间状语。
5. When they returned to the bus, the girl sat with Vingo again, and after a while, slowly and painfully, he began to tell his story.
回到车上以后，那女孩又和文戈坐在一起。过了一会儿，他慢吞吞地、不胜心算地讲起了自己的身世。
这是一个由and连接的并列复合句，在and之前的句子中，when引导一个时间状语从句when they returned to the bus; and 之后的句子则是一个简单句。
6. I told her that if she didn’t have a new guy and if she’d take me back, she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree, and I’d get off and come home.
我告诉她，如果她没结婚，要是她还想让我回去，就在树上系一条黄手帕，我就会下车回家。
That 引导的宾语从句一直到句子末尾，作told的宾语，在此宾语从句中，有两个由if引导的从句if she didn’t have a new guy and if she’d take me back作条件状语。
7. She told the others, and soon all of them were in it, caught up in the approach of Brunswick, looking at the pictures Vingo showed them of his wife and three children – the woman handsome in a plain way, the children still unformed in the much-handled snapshots.
她告诉了别人，大家很快都知道了，大家全都关注着布仑斯维克的到来。他们看到文戈给他们的几张相片，是他的妻子和三个孩子的照片 ----- 从那几张触摸过多的照片上看，那女人有一种朴实的美，孩子们还没有长大。
这个句子结构比较复杂，它是由and连接的并列复合句。And之前的分句是个简单句，and之后的分句有两个分词短语作伴随状语，一是过去分词短语caught up in the approach of Brunswick, 另一个是looking at the pictures Vingo showed them of his wife and three children。在后一个分词短语中，从句Vingo showed them of his wife and three children作定语，修饰the pictures, 破折号之后的两个名词短语是对于his wife 和three children的进一步解释。
8. Then, suddenly, all of them were up out of their seats, screaming and shouting and crying, doing small dances of joy.
突然，所有年轻人都从座位上站了起来，尖叫，呼喊，大声嚷嚷，
还跳起了欢快的舞蹈。
本句应注意的是四个现在分词的连用：screaming, shouting, crying, doing small dances of joy, 它们在句子中作伴随状语。
9. It was covered with yellow handkerchief – 20 of them, 30 of them, maybe hundreds, a tree that stood like a banner of welcome billowing in the wind.
树上挂满了黄手帕 – 20条，30条，也许有几百条，一棵树立在那儿就像欢迎的旗帜一样在迎风招展。
注意句中“20of them, 30 of them, maybe hundreds”为yellow handkerchief 的进一步解释，a tree that stood like a banner of welcome billowing in the wind 是对于it的进一步解释，从句that stood like a banner of welcome billowing in the wind作定语修饰a tree, 现在分词短语billowing in the wind 作定语，修饰a banner of welcome。

五、同义辨析
1. in front of, in the front of
a. in front of 指“在 … 的前面”
b. in the front of 指“在 … 的前部”
[举例] There is a tree in front of the house.
房前有一棵树。
I always sat in the front of the classroom when I was in middle school.
我上中学时总是坐在教室的前面。
2. beautiful, handsome, pretty
a. beautiful 美丽，漂亮，植物时说明样式、色彩完美，令人喜爱；指人时主要用于女性美；偶尔也指男性，特指失去男子气的女性之美。
b. handsome 英俊，漂亮，主要指男性美；用来形容女性是，一般指健壮、大方、身材匀称，五官端正之美。
c. pretty 漂亮，可爱，不及beautiful语气强，均可形容人和物，指小巧伶俐的美。
[距离] He looked tall, handsome, and healthy.
他看上去高大，俊美，健壮。
Nearly all girls are good-looking; some are pretty; a few, but very few, are beautiful.
姑娘们几乎都好看，其中有些长得很可爱，但算得上美丽的不多，甚至很少。
The garden is small but pretty.
这花园很小但很优美。

六、课后作业（答案在下一讲）
I. Vocabulary and structure
1. I first heard this story ______ from a girl I had met in New York’s Greenwich Village.
A. since a few years A. a few years before
C. for a few years D. a few years ago
2. When they _______ the bus, the boys and girls were carrying sandwiches and wine.
A. board B. boarded C. board on D. boarded on
3. The boys and girls dreamed of _______ beaches and sea sides in Fort Landerdale.
A. gold B. golden C. yellow D. brown
4. As the bus passed through New Jersey, they began to _______ Vingo.
A. notice B. attention C. concentrate D. note
5. Vingo sat in front of the young people, ________ in a plain, ill-fitting suit.

A. dress B. dressing C. to be dressed D. dressed
6. Vingo sat there, never ______, his dusty face ______ his age.
A. moving … masked B. moved … masking
C. moving … masking D. moved … masked
7. He kept chewing the inside his lip a lot, ________ into complete silence.
A. freeze B. freezing C. frozen D. being frozen
8. Deep into the night, the bus pulled into Howard Johnson’s, and everybody got off ______ Vingo. He sat there still.
A. except B. except for C. beside D. besides
9. Vingo smiled and _____ a swig from the wine bottle.
A. made B. picked C. brought D. took
10. He thanked the girl for the wine and _______ again into his silence.
A. relaid B. retreated C. relocated D. replaced
11. Vingo went in Howard Johnson’s, and the girl insisted that he ______ them.
A. joined B. was to join C. join D. joining
12. Vingo wrote his life again when he was sure the parole was coming _________.
A. up B. through C. off D. out
13. Vingo and his family _______ in Brunswick, just before Jacksonville.
A. used to live B. used to living C. were used to living D. got used to live
14. The girl sitting beside Vingo told his story to ________ five young people.
A. another B. other C. the other D. others
15. Vingo showed the young people the pictures of his family which were ______ snapshots.
A. many-handling B. much-handling C. many-handled D. much-handled
16. When they were 20 miles from Brunswick, the young people took ______ window seats on the right side.
A. off B. over C. up D. on
17. Vingo sat there _______, looking at the oak tree.
A. stunning B. stunned C. being stunned D. being stunning
18. The great oak tree was covered _______ yellow from his seat.
A. with B. by C. of D. on
19. As the young people shouted, he slowly _______ from his seat.
A. raised B. arose C. aroused D. rose
20. After a while, ________, he began to tell his story.
A. slow and painful B. slowly and painful
C. slowly and painfully D. slow and painfully
21. He must have been very nervous when speaking. Did you _______ that his hand was shaking?
A. mind B. notice C. attention D. concentrate
22. Mary doesn’t want to go into the sea. She would rather lie on the ________.
A. beach B. coast C. shore D. seaside
23. He was such a _______ young man that many girls like him.
A. beautiful B. pretty C. lovely D. handsome
24. Peter has two brothers. One of them is a teacher, _______ is a driver.
A. another B. the other C. other D. each other
25. Not until late at night did the boat _______ into the harbour.
A. pull B. enter C. drive D. drag
26. There is a deep love between the young couple _______ in understanding and support.
A. root B. rooting C. rooted D. to root
27. I can’t tell how old he is, for the sad and complex expression on his face ______ his age.
A. reveals B. masks C. prevents D. shows
28. As soon as he succeeded in stealing, the thief ran into the crowd and ________.
A. appeared B. diminish C. departed D. vanished
29. The enemy gave up the idea of holding their ground to the end and began to _______.
A. retreat B. relay C. replace D. reclaim
30. Sir, here is the menu. Would you like to _______ your meal now?
A. have B. book C. eat D. order
II. Reading comprehension

Passage one
Child labor – the employment(雇用) of children in industry, often against their will – has been a problem for many years. Over a hundred years ago, Charles Dickens shocked many of his readers when he described(描述) the conditions under which young children worked in British factories. The conditions Dickens described continue almost unchanged today in many parts of the world. The only difference is that today employment of children is confined(限制) to small industries and family businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and particularly farms, rather than to large factories.
Girls suffer more from child labor practices than boys. Many of them are forced to start work when they are only ten years old. Although the work they are given to do is often light, it is often harmful to the health. Recently, children as young as six years were found to be working in Asian factories, and the children were working from eight to fourteen hours a day in overcrowded(过分拥挤的) and unhealthy working conditions. Sometimes a whole family group is employed, with the payment going to a parent or older relative. The children not only receive nothing or very little for their long hours of work, but also they are prevented from attending school. Therefore, when they become older they unable to do any other kind of work.
The solution to the problem of child labor is clearly better laws to protect young children, greater supervision(监督) of industry and heavier fines(罚款) for those who break the laws. Only in this way can young boys and girls be allowed to enjoy the most valuable time of their lives – childhood.
1. Which of the following statement is true according to the first paragraph?
A. Children are often willing to work in large factories.
B. Most children are working in British factories.
C. The working conditions for children have been improved since Dickens’ times.
D. Charles Dickens described in his novels the poor working conditions for child labor.
2. The conditions under which young children work __________.
A. have improved since a hundred years ago
B. are even worse than those a hundred years ago
C. are similar to those a hundred years ago
D. are exactly the same as those a hundred years ago
3. Girls’ work is ________.
A. not harmful to the health though it is heavy
B. not harmful to the health because it is light
C. harmful to the health though it is light
D. harmful to the health because it is heavy
4. Young children go to work _______.
A. because they are forced to
B. in order to be skilful in a certain kind of work
C. in order to earn money for education
D. in order to be paid well
5. To solve the problem of child labor, the writer suggests _______.
A. punishing lawbreakers with severer fines, improving children’s working conditions, and confining employment of children to light industries
B. improving laws of protecting children’s interests, looking over factories more closely, and punishing lawmakers with severer fines
C. improving laws of protecting children’s interest, giving them lighter work, and raising their payment
D. confining employment of children to small industries and family businesses, looking over factories more closely, and improving the system of education

Passage two
Dr P – is such a rare traveller to London that when we both got into the same carriage twice within ten days, I asked him why. I then let him explain without interruption(中断).
“Last week,” he said, “I was invited to a doctors’ meeting at the R – Hospital. In one of the wards(病房) a patient, and old man got up shakily(颤抖地) from his bed and moved towards me. I could see that he hadn’t long to live, but he came up to me and placed his right foot close to mine on the floor.
“ ‘Frank!’ I cried. He couldn’t answer, as I knew, but he tried to smile, all the time pressing his foot against mine.
“My thoughts raced back more than thirty years – to the dark days of 1941, when I was a student in London. The scene was an air-raid(空袭) shelter, in which I and about a hundred other people slept every night. Among them were a Mrs West and her son Frank, who lived nearby.
“Sharing wartime problems, we shelter-dwellers(居住者) got to know each other very well. Frank West interested me because he wasn’t normal. He had never been normal, not even at birth. His mother told me he was 37 then, but he had less of a mind than a baby has, his ‘speech’ consisted of simple sounds – sounds of pleasure or anger – and no more. Sometimes he tried to smile but never succeeded. Mrs West, then about 75, was a strong, capable woman, as she had to be of course, because Frank depended on her entirely. He needed all the attention of a baby.
“One night a policeman came into our shelter and spoke to Mrs West. The news he gave her was that her house had been ‘flattened(夷平),’ he said, ‘by a heavy gun’. That wasn’t quite true, because the Wests went on living there for quite some time. But they certainly lost nearly everything they owned.
“When that sort of thing happened, the rest of us helped the unlucky ones. So before we separated that morning, I stood beside Frank and measured my right foot against his. They were about the same size. That night then, I took a spare pair of shoes to the shelter for Frank. But as soon as he saw me he came running – and placed his right foot against mine.
“After that, his greeting to me was always the same. It was the same last week, though he hadn’t seen me for thirty-odd(带零头的) years. Now he is dead – rather sooner than I expected. He’s being buried today. That’s why I’m going to London again.”
6. In the hospital, Dr P – recognized Frank West ________.
A. when he examined Frank West
B. when Frank West failed to smile
C. when Frank West greeted him in a certain way.
D. as soon as he entered the ward
7. People slept in an air-raid shelter __________.
A. for safety
B. because their homes had been destroyed by the enemy
C. because they needed friends, and the shelter was the best place to make them
D. because the shelter was the best place to get the help they needed
8. Frank hadn’t been normal _________.
A. since birth
B. since the beginning of the war
C. since his home was flattened by a gun
D. since he became a shelter-dweller
9. “The unlucky ones” in Paragraph 7 refer to ________.
A. the people who stayed in the air-raid shelter
B. the patients in hospital
C. the people who suffered losses in the wars
D. the dependent people like Frank West
10. The student placed his foot against Frank’s _________.
A. to teach Frank a special way of greeting
B. to make friends with Frank
C. to see whether Frank’s feet were normal
D. to find out if his shoes would fit Frank

七、英语技能训练

（一）提高英语听力，训练应试技能 （九）
听力测试中的短文应试技能训练
4．对话型
对话型短文是通过一男一女两人就某个问题的对话，给考生提供了一个交流信息的语言环境，然后再针对谈话的内容设置问题的一类短文。此类型短文的对话包罗万象，与我们日常生活相关的各个方面都可能成为短文的话题。但是一般情况下对话型短文的主题却只有一个，而且往往在对话开始时就提出，所以考生在听这类对话型短文时应特别注意对话的开头部分及讲话人之间的关系，这对于正确理解整个对话大有帮助。对话型短文与Section A 中的小对话(Short Conversation)即有区别，又有相通之处，我们前面已谈到的有关小对话中的听力技巧与策略也可以用于这类短文的听力中去。这种类型的短文在四、六级听力测试中虽极少采用，但作为短文听力测试的一种类型，亦应引起我们的注意。
[例题]
You will read:
1. A) It is inexpensive.
B) They are celebrating a birthday.
C) It was recommended by a friend
D) They liked it the last time they had dinner there.
2. A) She wants to check the price.
B) She wants to see if the menu is in French.
C) She is in a hurry to eat.
C) She takes a long time choosing her food.
3. A) Snails are not on the menu.
B) The restaurant doesn’t have any left.
C) They want cocktail instead.
D) They are afraid of getting sick.
4. A) French cheese and white wine.
B) Salmon
C) Duck.
D) Chef and French cheese.
You will hear:
W: What an elegant place! But can we afford it?
M: I wanted the best restaurant for your birthday. And since you like French cuisine, here we are! Let’s begin with a cocktail and then look at the menu.
W: I’m going to start right away because it always takes me a year to make up your mind. Any recommendation?
M: I’ve never been here before, but everything is supposed to be excellent.
W: Look! They have snails! But I wouldn’t dare to eat them. They might make me sick.
M: I feel the same way about snails. I think I’ll have roast duck. It comes with vegetables and potatoes.
W: Sound good, but since I love seafood, I’m going to take the salmon. And let’s have the salad after entree, the way the French do!
M: Fine, we should have white wine with dinner and champagne with dessert since this is a celebration.
W: Oh, and let’s not forget the cheese. There is nothing like real French cheese.
M: I can see already that this is going to be an enjoyable and delicious evening.

Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
1. Why are the man and woman in the restaurant?
2. Why does the woman want to see the menu right away?
3. Why don’t the man and woman order snails?
4. What does the woman plan to order as a main course?
这是一段丈夫与妻子之间的对话，谈论的主题是两人选了一家法式餐馆来为妻子庆贺生日，这在对话的开头第二句中便提到了。对话的主要内容是围绕二人如何点菜来进行的，由于对话发生在餐馆，有关菜肴名称的词汇出现较多。考生在听音时应按点菜的先后顺序作适当的记录，尤其二人对菜的评价方面。短文后的四个问题都是针对对话内容本身进行提问。第一题是对明辨信息能力的考查，答案在第二句“I wanted the best restaurant for your birthday.”一句中，所以本题应选B)。第二题问妻子为什么急于看菜单，答案在 “I’m going to start right away because it always takes me a year to make up my mind.”一句中，所以本题选D)，本题也是对信息获取能力的考查。第三题也是对短文情节的考查，两人对snail 的观点一致， “they might make me sick”, 所以本题正确答案是D)。最后一题，也可从原文中直接获取答案，正确答案是B)。
（二）阅读理解阅读技巧 （九）
注意在语篇水平上的阅读理解
在阅读理解中必须重视高级阅读技能的提高，把句子水平的阅读理解提高到语篇水平的阅读理解，避免在阅读理解中见树不见林。在上面，我们对有关的语篇水平的阅读理解的各种技能作了说明。它包括：理解上下文的逻辑关系、掌握文章的主题思想、通过概括得出结论、理解作者的态度和进行预期推理。下面再补充一个例子：
As one works with color in a practical or experimental way, one is impressed by two apparently unrelated facts. Color as seen is a mobile changeable thing depending to a large extent on the relationship of the color to other colors seen simultaneously. It is not fixed in its relation to the direct stimulus which creates it. On the other hand, the properties of surface that give rise to color do not seem to change greatly under a wide variety of illumination colors, usually (but not always) looking much the same in artificial light as in daylight. Both of these effects seem to be due in large part to the mechanism of color adaptation mentioned earlier.
When the eye is fixed on a colored area, there is an immediate readjustment of the sensitivity of the eye to color in and around the area viewed. This readjustment does not immediately affect the color seen but usually does affect the next area to which the gaze is shifted.

The present selection has apparently been preceded by some explanation of ________.
A. some experiments with color pigments
B. the nature of color
C. the color properties of various surface
D. the mechanism of the eye’s adaptation to color
根据第一段的最后一句的意思，可以判断本题的正确答案是D项。

（三） 写作基础
有关主谓一致的问题
在英语中，当可数名词单数或不可数名词作主语时，谓语用单数动词形式；复数名词作主语时，谓语用复数动词形式，例如：
The boy is playing in the garden.
The boys are playing in the garden.
然而，下面几种情况值得学生在写作时注意：
1．主语和谓语之间出现修饰语，谓语动词仍然应与主语保持一致。
例如：
One of those machines needs repairing.
2. 主语和谓语之间插入了由 with, as well as, except, in addition to, not 等引导的名词词组，谓语仍然应与主语保持一致。例如：
John, as well as his two sisters, was swimming in the pool.
The employees, not the manager, were asked to explain the cause of the fire.
3. 由 and 连接的词组作主语，谓语动词一般要用复数。例如：
To fight and to win were their aims.
4. 谓语须和主语，而不是表语，取得一致。例如：
Our worry was(不用were)the frequent storms that swept the lake.
[注意] 由what 引导的从句作主语、主句为系表结构时其动词要与表语取得一致。例如：
What I want are a notebook and a pen.
5. 由either … or, neither … nor, not only … but also 连接的名词词组作主语，所跟的谓语要和较近的那一个名词词组取得一致。例如：
Neither the students nor the teacher was pleased with the result of the exam.
6. 由 each, every, each one, everybody, anybody, nobody, none, either, neither等引导名词词组作主语，接单数动词。例如：
None of the boys is telling the truth.
7. 集合名词作主语，如果表示整体概念用单数动词，如表示成员概念则用复数动词。试比较：
The group is on its plane to Beijing.
The group are having a rest.
[注意] 少数集合名词如：people, police等作主语，总是跟复数动词。
8．表示“时间，金钱，度，量，衡”等的名词词组作主语，如果强调一定的量或者总和，用单数动词；如过侧重具体的数量，则要用复数动词。试比较：
Ten minutes is a long time for us to wait.
Ten minutes have passed since we came.
9. 在 all of, majority of, most of, part of, some of, the rest of, the remainder of 及分数或百分数后接名词词组时，如of后接复数名词，谓语用复数；如果of后接单数名词，谓语用单数。例如：
Two thirds of the accidents are due to carelessness.
Most of the snow has melted.

八．Unit 9 练习答案
I. Vocabulary and structure
1. C 2. A 3. D 4. B 5. A
6. D 7. C 8. A 9. B 10. B
11. B 12. D 13. A 14. B 15. A
16. C 17. B 18. D 19. B 20. A
21. C 22. B 23. A 24. D 25. C
26. B 27. D 28. D 29. B 30. D
II. Reading comprehension
1. C 2. D 3. B 4. D 5. A
6. B 7. B 8. C 9. A 10. C

Unit 9写作基础练习答案：
1. On New Year’s Day, Chinese people usually either make new year calls or watch TV programs.
2. The bookstore owner told us that the book was timely, informative, and interesting.
3. I like group discussions better than lectures.
4. Her lectures are witty, interesting, and carefully planned.
5. My summer’s work proved not only interesting but also instructive.
6. The neighbors complained that we made too much noise and that we threw rubbish everywhere.