Part I Levels of Words Task 1
The underlined words and phrases are often used in a formal way. Please replace them with some more common words.
1. A bizarre experiment in the United States has demonstrated that psychiatrists cannot distinguish effectively between people who are mentally disturbed and those who are sane. 2. At the end of the interview they told me that I would be notified of any vacancies suitable to my experience and qualifications.
3. A very trivialcircumstance will serve to exemplify this. 4. The absence of variation in the result of our experiments gave us confidence in the scientific law.
5. In a scientific inquiry, a fallacy, great or small, is always of importance and is sure to be, in the long run, productive ofmischievous results.
Task 2
Identify the level of the following sentences.
1. a. When his dad died, Pete had to get another job.
b. After his father’s death, Peter had to change his job.
c. On the decease of his father, Mr. Brown was obliged to seek alternative employment. 2. a. Pete’s old womanhit the roof when he came home with that doll from the disco.
b. Peter’s wifewas very angry when he came home with the girl from the discotheque. 3. a. You’re extremely talkative.
b. You talk a lot.
c. You’re an old windbag. 4. a. At what time shall we dine?
b. When do we eat?
5. a. The college requires all the students to submit their essay by a given time.
b. I’ve got to hand in this essay by tomorrow.
Keys Task 1
1. bizarre (formal)—strange, odd demonstrate (formal)—prove, show
mentally disturbed (formal)—mad 2. notify (formal)—tell vacancy (formal)—job (common) 3. trivial (formal)—common, small circumstance (formal)—incident, thing 4. absence (formal)—lack variation (formal)—difference 5. fallacy (formal)—mistake, cause be productive of (formal)—produce
mischievous (formal)—harmful Task 2
1. a. colloquial b. common c. formal 2. a. colloquial, impolite b. common 3. a. formal b. informal c. slang 4. a. formal b. informal 5. a. formal b. colloquial
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Part II Meanings of words Task 1
Try to find the synonyms in the following passages:
The deafening noise, and the glare of the engine fire, would have a bad effect on nerves.
Further, being moved through the air at a high speed would do great injure to delicate lungs. The sudden plunging of a train into the darkness of a tunnel, and the equally sudden rush into full daylight, would cause great damage to eyesight.
Indeed, as one imagine the underground world to become increasingly elaborate, one can
visualize much of the food supply eventually deriving from hydroponic growth in artificially illuminated areas underground. (Issac Asimov)
The press and television keep showing us the faults of the public figures, until we lose faith
and start looking for defects in any person who seems worthy of respect. In a neighbor or a statesman, we try to discover the weaknesses or ugly motives that are surely hiding behind his noble actions. (A Changing Scene)
Asian parents are able to instill more motivation in their children. “My bottom line is, Asian
kids work hard,” said Professor Dornbush.
The real question, then, is how Asian parents imbue their offspring with this kind of motivation. (Fox Butterfield)
Retirement often brings many problems surrounding the “What do I do with myself today?”
question, even though there may be no financial cares. Large numbers of people regularly get headaches and other illnesses on weekends when they don’t have their jobs to go to, and must fend for themselves. It has been observed that unemployment, quite aside from exerting financial pressures, brings enormous psychological troubles and that many individuals deteriorate rapidly when jobless. (Leonard R. Sayles)
Task 2
Choosethe more precise of the two words in italics after each sentence, and explain your reasons.
1. Though she has grown up, her behavior is often childlike /childish.
2. I am quite jealous / envious of your opportunity to study at such a famous university. 3. Her clothes, though made of cheap / inexpensivematerial, are quite elegant. 4. This homely / ugly old man is a well-known musician.
5. He was surprised / stunned to find that his little sister had become a pretty, slim / skinny young woman.
6. The enemy troops were driven back when theyattempted / tried to cross the border. 7. They all felt sympathy / pity for the victims of the disaster and made donations. 8. Is that old / elderly woman / lady sitting on the bench your mother?
9. Many people bowed / surrenderedbefore Force, but eventually Force would bow / surrender to Reason.
10. A path can be safe / secure because there is no risk of landslides, and a path in Afghanistan can be safe / secured because there is enough military surveillance protecting you from an ambush.
Task 3
Try to find the difference between the words in each group. 1. improve, raise, increase, enhance
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2. damage, destroy, spoil, ruin 3.fast, quickly, soon
4. deliver, send, present, carry, bring, take
Task 4
Find and correct the misused words in following sentences. 1. Every country, big or small, has its unique culture.
2. The small girl sang beautifully and was cheered by the audience.
3. The state government has tried its best to improve the living standard of the people. 4. Nowadays, shops can be expected to send goods to the door of the customers. 5. He promised to return me the book as quickly as possible.
6. Don’t have a bad repairman fix your TV set; he may destroy it.
7. Singapore, as a country, is very little, but it is advanced in many respects. 8. The trade relations between the two nations have much increased in recent years.
Task 5
Please correct the improper word in each sentence and explain it. 1. The scene of this country is unparalleled.
2. The tourists are a familiar scene in this part of the city.
3. The school football team has had three triumphs this month against other schools. 4. The fire was completely vanquished by daybreak.
5. The love of poetry was lighted in him by her teaching. 6. The insults kindled my anger.
7. His words made her so angry that she cut his favorite T-shirt.
8. He remembered it was a shady day, when he got to know that he had failed the exam.
Keys
Task 1 & 2 (略) Task 3
1. Improve 意为“改善”；raise 意为“提升到一个新的高度和水平”；increase 意为“增加”；enhance 意为“加强”。
2. damage 意思为“损坏”，尚可修复；destroy 意为“毁坏”，有面目全非之义，spoil 意为“使达不到理想，预期的标准”；ruin意思为“使一塌糊涂”。
3. fast 泛指速度“快”；quickly侧重频度上的“快”；soon 意为“不久”。The former two是“方式”副词，而soon是“时间”副词。 4. 略
Task 4 (略) Task 5
1. scene—scenery（scene指“观察者眼前看到的东西”；scenery指“一个地方的自然景色”) 2. scene—sight （scene 指“视野范围里一切景物构成的景象”；sight指“看到的某一物体或行为”）
3. triumphs—victories（triumph强调“经过艰苦奋斗后取得的重大胜利”，更具文学色彩；victory没有这些意思）
4. vanquished—overcame（vanquish为文学用词，表示“彻底地击败”；overcome为一般用词，无“彻底地”之意）
5. lighted—kindled（light 和 kindle 都有“点燃、使某物燃烧”之意，但 kindle 还可引申
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为“使某人感兴趣，使某人兴奋”）
6. kindled—ignited（ignite 和 kindle 均有“点燃”之意，但ignite 还可引申为“激怒，使„突然不安”）
7. cut—shredded（cut 和 shred 都有“切”的意思，shred 强调“切成或撕成碎片”，cut 只指“切”这一动作）
8. shady—gloomy（shady 和 gloomy 均可表示“阴暗的”之意，shady 指“令人凉爽的，舒适的阴暗”，gloomy 则指“使人忧郁，悲伤的阴暗”）
Part III General and Specific words Task 1
Arrange the following nouns according to degrees of generality. 1. German shepherd animal creature dog 2. flowers tulips plantcreature nature 3. transport vehicle plane Boeing757 man-made device 4. a cold illness trouble thing 5. Aunt Sally a relative people acquaintance 6. novel literature writingPride and Prejudice 7. scientists chemists professionals biochemists Task 2
The following words are rather general in meaning. Think of words that are more specific than each of them.
walk laugh see cry wind
Task 3
Please replace the underlined words or phrases with the specific and characteristic ones. 1. Pupils are often told not use bad language at school. 2. His writing is good and I can understand it easily.
3. How well a child develops depends on his environment. 4. Friendliness is the first requirement of a salesman. 5. In spring, the weather in Beijing can be undesirable. 6. She looked unwell and we thought she must be ill. Keys
Task 1 （略） Task 2 Walk
stride: to walk with long steps
stalk: to walk stiffly, slowly, and proudly with long steps (高视阔步) trot: to jog, move quickly, usu. refers to horses
waddle: to walk from side to side with short steps like a duck (蹒跚而行)
stagger: to walk unsteadily, slide and drag the feet almost falling at each step, usually because of
illness, injury or drink (蹒跚)
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totter: to walk unsteadily showing great weakness often used of very young children learning to
walk (摇摆蹒跚)
shuffle: to move without lifting the feet clear of the floor as if wearing slippers (拖着脚走)
strut: to walk in a proud strong way, esp. with the chest out and trying to look important (趾高气
扬地走)
amble: to walk at an easy gentle rate (慢行)
stroll: to walk, esp. slowly, for pleasure. It emphasizes a slower movement, more wandering and
aimless with suggestions of many starts and pauses. (闲逛) saunter: A little more formal than stroll
wander: to move about without a fixed course, aim, or purpose（漫步，徘徊）
roam: to wander with as very clear aim. It suggests a more serious purpose behind the irregular of
circular movement in complete forgetfulness of time. (漫游)
trudge: to walk heavily and wearily with effort as when one (plod) is tired (跋涉) tramp: to walk with firm heavy steps (重步行走)
mince: to walk with little short steps in an affected manner (扭扭捏捏地走) slouch: to walk in a loose, ungainly (不雅观) way hustle: to walk in a busy, active way
Laugh
smile: to move the corners of your mouth outwards and slightly upwards grin: to smile with the teeth (露齿而笑) chuckle: to laugh quietly (暗笑，含笑)
giggle: to laugh repeatedly foolishly and uncontrollably, esp. by girls (咯咯笑) snicker: to laugh in a disrespectful more or less secret way (窃笑，暗笑) simper: to smile in a silly unnatural way (假笑，痴笑) smirk: to smile in a false or too satisfied way (得意的笑)
titter: to laugh very quietly from nervousness or badly controlled amusement (窃笑) guffaw: to laugh loudly and rudely (狂笑) roar: to laugh long and loudly (哄笑)
chortle: to give a laugh of pleasure or satisfaction (欢笑)
taunt: to try to make sb angry, or upset by making unkind remarks, laughing at faults or failures
(笑骂)
ridicule: to laugh unkindly at or to make unkind fun of (嘲笑，嘲弄)
deride: to laugh at or make fun of as of no value /to mock at someone with contempt (讥笑)
mock: to laugh at sb(sth) when it is wrong to do so, esp. by copying in a funny or contemptuous
way (嘲弄)
twit: (infl) to make fun of sb because of behavior, a mistake, a fault, etc. (嘲笑) scoff: to laugh at, to speak or act disrespectfully/to speak in scornful mocking way (嘲笑，轻蔑地
笑)
chaff: (infl) to make fun of sb in a good-humored way (戏弄)
jeer: to laugh rudely at /to insult sb in a loud, unpleasant way (讥笑)
gibe(jibe): to laugh at with the intention of hurting the feeling with sarcastic remarks
sneer: to express proud dislike by a kind of usu, one- side smile or to show scorn or contempt by
looks (讥笑，冷笑) joke: to make fun of
jest: to act or speak playful, not seriously (取笑)
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banter: to speak, or act playfully or jokingly (戏弄) scorn: to look down upon(轻视) See
look at: to use your eyes on purpose and with attention
watch: to look for some time at something that may move
gaze: to look long and steadily, often with the implication of wonder, admiration
stare: to gaze intently esp. with wide-open eyes as in amusement, admiration, wonder, deep
thought, anger or fear
glance: to look at something quickly and briefly glimpse: to see by chance, just for a moment
glare: to stare angrily, fiercely. It emphasizes hospitality or fear peep: to look quickly and secretly or from a hiding place
peer: to look sharply and curiously with a narrowing of the eyes often a movement of the head
forward
gape: to look hard in surprise, esp. with the mouth open Cry
weep: to let flow tears(哭泣)
sob: to weep or sigh with short quick breaths(抽泣，抽嗒)
snivel: to sniffle and cry in a irritating manner(哭天抹泪，涕泪交流) blubber: to cry loudly noisily(哭嚎，又哭又闹)
whine: to make a low complaining cry(发出低声报怨声) bawl: to utter loud cries (always in bad sense)(嚎哭) wail: to cry aloud from pain or sorrow(痛哭)
moan: to make a low, miserable sound in pain or sorrow(呻吟)
grown: to make a low sound of pain, unhappiness or disapproval (呻吟) mourn: to feel or show sadness or sorrow for someone who has died(哀悼) lament: to express great sorrow or regret(哀悼) Wind
cyclone旋风 typhoon台风 tornado龙卷风 monsoon季风 headwind逆风 gale大风 breeze微风 hurricane飓风 squall狂风 calm无风 land wind陆风 gust of wind阵风 constant wind恒风 gentle breeze 微风 light breeze 轻风 trade wind信风 moderate breeze和风 fresh breeze清风 strong breeze强风 gusty wind疾风 strong gale烈风 violent storm暴风 north wind北风 southwest wind西南风 Task 3
1. bad language—rude language 2. good—clearand coherent
3. environment—familyand school 4. friendliness—smiling
5. undesirable—windyand dusty, unwell—pale
Part VI How to avoid monotonous repetition
Task
Please offer more than two synonyms of each of the following words. 1．大多数的 2．许多 3．解释现象 4．提出观点/建议
5．说到
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6．公司企业 7．对…重要 8．导致/造成 9．不同
Keys
1. a vast majority of, a considerable proportion of, a sizable percentage of 2. quite a few, a variety of, a host of
3. explain, account for, give explanation to, be responsible for
4. advance/put forward/come up with (ideas/arguments/suggestions) 5. as to, as for, when it comes to, when asked about, so far as…be 6. company, enterprise, cooperation, business, venture, organization 7. be important/vital/indispensable to, what really counts/matters 8. cause, lead to contribute to, be responsible for, give rise to
9. different, various, diverse, not the same, not similar/identical/equivalent important, essential, vital, crucial, indispensable
Part V Accurate diction and cultural differences
1.Translate the following Chinese phrases into English. 冷色调 温床 喝汤 休息室 旅游城市 2. Name Chinese Connation English Connation bossy, showing off cool colors hotbed eat the soup a lounge a tourist city 步行街 一轮圆月 学知识 安全感 飞吻 a pedestrian street a full moon 10．重要的
gain / acquire / obtain / get knowledge sense of security blow a kiss / a blowing kiss Authentic Expressions & Examples as proud / vain as a peacock The young man was peacocking about on the lawn.那年轻人趾高气扬地在草地上走来走去。 He puffed himself up like a peacock. 骄傲自满 He always gives good advice. He’s as wise as an owl. The Chinese dragon has been seen as a symbol of China and the royal family, and represents good luck as well. But in the west, dragons are large monsters that breathe fire and eat people. peacock beautiful, promising 美丽，吉祥 owl dragon bad luck 不祥之兆 wise, intelligent The totem of Chinese monster, devil nation
3.Read the following sentences. Figurative Use of Plants Rose：美；心上人 Peach：美人；受欢迎、受尊敬的人或物 Wallflower：舞会上没有舞伴而坐着看的女子
Examples She is a rose of loveliness. 她是位可爱的美人 My love’s a red redrose.我的爱人是一朵红玫瑰。 I must say his latest girlfriend is a peach．我得说他新交的女朋友十分漂亮。 He is a peach to work with．他是个合作的好伙伴。 There were far more girls than boys at the dance so there were obviously several wallflowers．来参加舞会的女孩比男孩多得多，很显然有的女孩只有坐冷板凳了。 7
Lily：纯洁的人 Seed：种子选手 Pumpkin：很重要的人物，常用复数形式并与some连用 Daisy：第一流的人物 Flower：精华 Gooseberry：陪妇，源于青年男女相聚时须有老妇陪伴的古老习俗 Lemon：令人不满意或者是有瑕疵的人或物 Nut：狂热的爱好者 Peanut：渺小的人或事 She is a virgin, a most unspotted lily．她是个纯洁的少女，一朵洁白无瑕的百合花。 He was the No.1 seed in the table-tennis championship．他是这届乒乓球锦标赛头号种子选手。 A man of learning is supposed to be some pumpkins．学问高深的人常被认为是重要人物。 He is a real daisy．他是个顶呱呱的人物。 The country lost the flower of its youth in the war．那个国家在战争中失去了许多优秀青年。 I’ll leave you two young people alone；I’m sure you don’t want me to play gooseberry．你们两个年轻人单独在一起吧，我敢肯定你们不希望我夹在你们中间。 She was stuck with a lemon on the dance floor．她在舞场上被个讨厌的舞伴缠上了。 She is a Chaplin nut; she’s seen all his films．她是卓别林迷，凡他演的电影都看过。 He shows a lot “strength for such a peanut”．他杀鸡用牛刀。
Task 1
Please translate the following sentences into Chinese, especially focusing on the underlined parts.
1. She was like a cat on hot bricks before her driving test.
2. It was the morning of the World Cup Final and most of the players had butterflies in their stomachs.
3. Although Jane was very shy at the beginning, she became the top dog in her office within the first year.
4. MirabelAirport is a real white elephant because it is so far out of Montreal that no one wants to use it. It costs a lot and it’s useless.
5. I tell you I know for certain that Wendy will be promoted to manager. The boss told me
himself, so it’s straight from the horse’s mouth.
6. There are some conservatives who call me pro-China, call me what they term a
“panda-hugger”. 7. 习惯成自然。 8. 新官上任三把火。 9. 我相信直觉。
10. 他的房间总是乱七八糟。
Task 2
Please correct the improper collocations in each sentence.
1. The traffic in many big cities is getting more and more crowded. 2. But the speed of a car is much faster than that of a bicycle. 3. Now the price of milk is so cheapthat everyone can afford it. 4. As acustomer of the supermarket, I did not make a complaint. 5. The government tries to upgrade/raise the living.
6. Although he did not express them, I could see his thoughts. 7. I could hear something from the tone of his voice.
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8. It is necessary to teachstudents a little knowledge of American history. 9. I’m afraid it is impossible for us to agreesuch requests. 10. He said that he sleptlate. He was finding an excuse.
Task 3
Correct the imprecise use of the bold words in the following sentences.
1. Some students are good at getting high scores in an exam, but are not good at doing the real things.
2. Cars, as a traffic tool, become more and more popular in China. 3. In autumn, all fruit are mature.
4. A loyal dog will never sell out its master.
5. Our government should take action to decrease the gap between the rich and the poor. 6. If some students can’t find jobs in big cities, they can go to middle cities. 7. The supply is much more than the requirement.
8. Our university should open some optional classes about mental health.
9. On one hand, I want to take a part-time job; on the other hand, I am afraid that it will influence my study.
10. Many students stay up till deep in the nightduring holiday. 11. She only ate some remaining food.
12. We can advertise our product during the golden time on CCTV. 13. I was a kind of mad at the guy who said dirty words to me. 14. When I got home, I got tired, so I got a book and got into bed.
Keys Task 1
1. like a cat on hot bricks：像热锅上的蚂蚁
2. had butterflies in their stomachs：紧张，焦躁不安 3. the top dog：胜利者；夺魁者；骨干，主要人物 4. white elephant：昂贵而不实用的事物
5. straight from the horse’s mouth：消息非常可靠 6. panda-hugger：亲中国的 7. Habit is a second nature. 8. New brooms sweep clean. 9. I believe in my sixth sense.
10. His room is always at sixes and sevens. Task 2
1. The traffic in many big cities is getting more and more congested/heavier and heavier. 2. But the speed of a car is much higher than that of a bicycle. Or: But a car is much faster than a bicycle.
3. Now the price of milk is so low that everyone can afford it. Or: Milk is so cheap that everyone can afford it.
4. As a regular customer of the supermarket, I did not make a complaint. 5. The government tries to upgrade/raise the standard of living. 6. Although he did not express them, I could read his thoughts. 7. I could tell something from the tone of his voice.
8. It is necessary to impart students a little knowledge of American history.
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Or: It is necessary to teach students a little of American history. 9. I’m afraid it is impossible for us to grant such requests. 10. He said that he stayed up late. He was making an excuse. Task 3
1. Some students are good at getting high scores in an exam, but are poor in hands-on ability. 2. Cars, as a means of transportation, are becoming more and more popular in China. 3.In autumn, all fruit are ripe.
4. A loyal dog will never betray its master.
5. Our government should take action to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor. 6. If some students can’t find jobs in big cities, they can go to medium-sized cities. 7. The supply exceeds the demand.
8. Our university should provide some optional classes about mental health.
9. On one hand, I want to take a part-time job; on the other hand, I am afraid that it will affect my study.
10. Many students stay up during holiday. 11. She only ate some left-over.
12. We can advertise our product during the prime time on CCTV.
13. I was angry with the young man who said insulting remarks to me. 14. When I came home, I felt tired, so I found a book and went into bed.
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