新概念英语第三册课文Lesson 36 A chance in a millio

一、【Text】课文

　　We are less credulous than we used to be. In the nineteenth century, a novelist would bring his story to a conclusion by presenting his readers with a series of coincidences ---- most of them wildly improbable. Readers happily accepted the fact that an obscure maidservant was really the hero's mother. A long-lost brother, who was presumed dead, was really alive all the time and wickedly plotting to bring about the hero's downfall. And so on. Modern readers would find such naive solutions totally unacceptable. Yet, in real life, circumstances do sometimes conspire to bring about coincidences which anyone but a nineteenth century novelist would find incredible. (暂不提供全部内容)

　　二、【New words and expressions】生词和短语

　　●credulous adj. 轻信的

　　●improbable adj. 不大可能的

　　●obscure adj. 不起眼的

　　●maidservant n. 女仆，女佣

　　●presume v. 假定

　　●wickedly adv. 心眼坏地，居心叵测地

　　●plot v. 密谋

　　●downfall n. 倒台，垮台

　　●naïve adj. 天真的

　　●unacceptable adj. 不能接受的

　　●conspire v. (事件)巧合促成

　　●incredible adj. 难以置信的

　　●resemblance n. 相似

　　●scorn n. 嘲弄，挖苦

　　●acquaint v. 使了解

　　●reunite v. 使团聚

　　●assume v. 假定，认为

　　■credulous adj. 轻信的 (修饰人)

　　credible: 可信的，可靠的 (修饰事物)

　　Eg: The story he told us is credible.

　　incredulous

　　incredible

　　believable

　　Eg; He demanded for believable explanation

　　unbelievable

　　■improbable adj. 不大可能的

　　■obscure adj. 不起眼的

　　Eg: The bus stopped at an obscure little town

　　令人费解的

　　An obscure figure can be seen through the fog.

　　vague 多用于比喻意，指不明确说明而造成的模糊不清

　　■maidservant n. 女仆，女佣

　　■presume v. 假定

　　vt.

　　presume that

　　presume: 假定 (根据过去的经验和感觉作出决断)

　　assume : 武断的，把尚未证实的作为依据，与事实不相符合

　　Eg: Let us assume that your words are fact

　　suppose : 最普通的用词，猜想、陈述自己的看法

　　Eg: I suppose that it was my fault.

　　■wickedly adv. 心眼坏地，居心叵测地

　　■plot v. 密谋

　　The criminals were plotting to rob the bank.

　　conspire: 众多人合谋做重大的犯法勾当，犹指反叛，不用于修饰单个人

　　scheme: 某人暗中设计狡诈的手段来谋求自己的私利

　　The man is scheme for power.

　　■downfall n. 倒台，垮台

　　■naïve adj. 天真的

　　■unacceptable adj. 不能接受的

　　■conspire v. (事件)巧合促成

　　vi.

　　The weather and car trouble conspire to spoil our vacation.

　　■incredible adj. 难以置信的

　　■resemblance n. 相似

　　likeness: 最普通的用语，比resemblance意味要强

　　bear a strong resemblance to sb. or sth.

　　The girl bears a strong resemblance to her sister.

　　such a resemblance

　　resemble 特别是指外观或外在性质的相似

　　similarity:性质、特色、程度的相似

　　The two envents which happened at the same time have got similarity

　　similar to sth. or sb.

　　They have got close likeness.

　　■scorn n. 嘲弄，挖苦

　　pour scorn on

　　pour contempt on

　　pour ridicule on 对……嘲弄，挖苦，斥之以鼻

　　pour heap

　　Eg: He poured scorn on his wife’s suggestion.

　　look down upon / think scorn of 藐视

　　contempt: 蔑视，强烈谴责某人或某事低贱、卑鄙，语气强于scorn

　　despite: 语气较弱，表示嘲弄

　　Eg: His suggestion was dismissed with scorn.

　　His face showed the scorn he felt.

　　■acquaint v. 使了解

　　be acquainted with sth. 对……有所了解

　　acquaint sb. with sth. / acquaint sb. of sth. 告之某人某事

　　make a person acquainted with sb. 介绍某人同另一个人认识

　　Let me make ... acquainted with you (正式用法)

　　acquaintance n. 熟人

　　■reunite v. 使团聚

　　■assume v. 假定，认为

三、【课文精析】

　　It is a chance in a million to meet you here.

　　He let out a scream that must can be heard in Peru.

　　We are less credulous than we used to be.

　　We are not so honest as we used to be.

　　谓语动词是be动词的时候用used to be,而不用used to

　　谓语动词是实义动词的时候用used to

　　He works less hard than he used to.

　　bring sth to a conclusion 结束 == bring sth to a close(更正式)

　　Eg: They decided to bring the meeting to a conclusion.

　　It was ... who brought meeting to a close.

　　present sb with sth. 向某人提供了……== present sth to sb.

　　who was presumed dead, was really alive all the time and wickedly plotting to bring about the hero's downfall.

　　bring about 产生，影响

　　Modern science has brought about great changes in life.

　　find such naive solutions totally unacceptable

　　find sth. interesting 觉得某事有趣

　　find sth. beautiful 觉得某物漂亮

　　Key sentence:

　　Mrs Bussman commented on the workman's close resemblance to her husband and even suggested that he might be his brother.

　　comment on sth 就……作出评论，评价-- remark on

　　Hans explained how it was that he was still alive.

　　Eg: I can’t explain how it is that he is still here.

　　make one’s way

　　become of ==happen to 发生遭遇，不幸的事件，多用于疑问句，主语必须是what / whatever

　　Eg: Whatever became of that girl?

　　Please explain what became of you yesterday.

　　用assuming, 而不用presuming;主观上的臆断、无事实根据的。

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