L e s s o n1Do yourself up: to make yourself look neat and attractive: Sue spent ages doing herself up.Do up:1 to fasten something, or to be fastened in a particular wayDo up your coat or you’ll get cold.a skirt which does up at the back2 to repair an old building or car, or to improve its appearance:They did up an old cottage in the Scottish Highlands.3 to decorate something in a particular way:The apartment was done up in English style.4to wrap something in paperWeigh: verb1 to consider something carefully so that you can make a decision about it:It is my job to weigh the evidence.weigh something against something:We have to weigh the benefits of the scheme against the costs.2 to influence someone’s opinion and the decision that they make:Weigh againstThis unfortunate experience will weigh heavily against further investment in the area.Weigh in somebody/something’s favorThese facts will weigh in your favor.Weigh withHer evidence weighed strongly with the judge.3 weigh your words to think very carefully about what you say becauseyou do not want to say the wrong thing:He was weighing his words carefully.Be weighed down with something: if a problem weighs you down, it makesyou feel worried and upset Be weighed down by/with somethingHe felt weighed down by his responsibilities.The whole family was weighed down with grief.Prompt:1 to make someone decide to do somethingWhat prompted you to buy that suitNews of the scandal prompted a Senate investigation.2 to remind an actor of the next words in a speechHis job is to prompt the actors when they forget their lines.Most of the children knew their lines so the director didn’t need to prompt very much.hustle and bustle: busy and noisy activityI was tired of the hustle and bustle of New York.Life was terribly hectic in the city, she thought, all hustle and bustle.The people in the cities seem always tired and exhausted for all the hustle and bustle around them.Take/seek refuge in: gain shelter or protection from someone or something During the frequent air-raids, people took refuge in their cellars.During the storm, tourists huddled in darkened hotels and hundreds of locals sought refuge in emergency shelters overnight. Cooped up:having to stay for a period of time in a place that is too small: It isn’t good for you to be cooped up in the house all day. Sinking:情绪低落;心情沉闷 the unpleasant feeling that you get when you suddenlyrealize that something bad is going to happen:I had a sinking feeling inside as I realized I was going to fail yet again.With a sinking at heart, Katherine rearranged the items in her satchel.Stock:1 a supply of a particular type of thing that a shop has available to sell:We have a huge stock of quality carpets on sale.out of stock/in stock=unavailable or available in a particular shopI'm sorry, that swimsuit is completely out of stock in your size.2 take stock of something: to think carefully about the things thathave happened in a situation in order to decide what todo next:While in hospital, Jeremy took stock of his life.He paused outside the doors, taking stock of his men, careful not to give any sign of his thoughts.He walked back inside and took stock of the situation.Play hooky/truant: to stay away from school without permissionA boy playing hooky in Texas is not a criminal who is put away for study.Harness: verb1 to control and use the natural force or power of something:We can harness the power of the wind to generate electricity.2 to fasten two animals together, or to fasten an animal to something using a harness3 to put a harness on a horseHarness:noun1 a set of leather bands used to control a horse or to attach it to a vehicle it is pulling2 a set of bands used to hold someone in a place or to stop them from falling3 in harness British English doing your usual work:I felt glad to be back in harness.4 in harness with somebody British English working closely withanother person or groupOverride: verb1 to use your power or authority to change someone else's decision:The EU commission exercised its power to override British policy.Congress has the power to override the President's veto.2 to be regarded as more important than something else:The needs of the mother should not override the needs of the child.3 to stop a machine doing something that it does by itself:Can you override the automatic locking systemStarve for or be starved for: long for; be anxious forThe poor kid’s just starved for attention.He was away in the Army and always starved for news for his girlfriend. Engross: if something engrosses you, it interests you so much that you do not notice anything else:The scene was stunning, and for a time engrossed all our attention.Take your mind off it by engrossing yourself in a good book.Dad was engrossed in the paper.Who’s that guy Jane’s been engrossed in conversation with all nightSet: ready not before nounset forAre you all set for the tripThe songwriter was all set for the interview with the director on the appointed day.set to do somethingI was just set to go when the phone rang.Intrude into/on/upon:1 to interrupt someone or become involved in their private affairsin an annoying and unwanted way:Would I be intruding if I came with youEmployers should not intrude into the private lives of their employees.2 to come into a place or situation, and have an unwanted effectIt is to be hoped that TV cameras never intrude on this peaceful place.Synonym: interfere meddle poke/stick your nose intoput/shove/stick your oar inGet the better/best of somebody:1 if your feelings or wishes get the better of you, they make youbehave in a way you would not normally behave: My curiosity finally got the better of me and I opened the letter.I think her nerves got the better of her.2 to defeat someone or deal successfully with a problemSo mortals learned that it is not possible to get the better of Zeus or ever deceive him.David wanted to study till midnight, but sleepiness got the best of himEnthrall: verb to make someone very interested and excited, so that they listen or watch something very carefullybe enthralled by/with somebody/somethingThe children were enthralled by the story she was tellingsimilar words:intrigued, curious, absorbed, very interested, fascinated, engrossed, spellboundToss and turn: to keep changing your position in bed because you cannot sleep:I’ve been tossing and turning all night.Recurring thoughts about her conversation with her boss had kept her tossing and turning most of the night.翻译：1.我不能想象他到了这般年纪怎么会想攻读研究生的;I can’t imagine what prompted him to pursue a graduateprogram at his age.2.他六点钟就出发了,比他通常上班早了一小时;He set out at six, an hour ahead of his usual time for going to office.3.我看得出吉米急着告诉我他面试的情况,他笑着说：当我走到写字台旁边,那位经理抬起头来打量了我一番,问了我几个问题,便说了声“OK”;I could see Jimmy was eager to tell me about the interview.Laughingly, he said,” When I walked to the desk, the manager looked up, took stock of me, then asked me a few questions and said ‘OK’.”4.将军实际上被软禁在家,他以国画书法为寄托,在水墨中找到了平静和安慰;Virtually under house arrest, the general took refuge in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy and found peace and solace in ink and water.5.由于上海到北京的火车17:25开车,我只得乘出租车;我上了火车,找到铺位后不久火车就开动了;As the Shanghai-Beijing train was due to leave at 17:25, I had to take a taxi .Shortly after I boarded the train and found my berth, it started to move.6.格林太太像泰勒太太一样,靠微博的养老金过着孤独的生活,日复一日,关闭在一间阴郁狭小的房间里,她非常渴望能有人和她在一起;Like Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Green lives a lonely life on a skimpy pension Cooped up in a small dreary room day after day, she is starved for company.7.那位女科学家说,“我可以没有珠宝,我甚至可以没有汽车,但是我不能没有实验室和书;”The women scientist said, “I can do without jewels, I can even do without a car, but I can’t do without my books and laboratory.”8.出发前的忙忙碌碌,乘坐汽车以及野餐本身使孩子们充满了激动与兴奋;The hustle and bustle before setting out, the car ride and the picnic itself filled the children with thrill and excitement.9.小船向前驶去,姑娘们被周围的美丽景色迷住了;As the boat sailed on, the young girls were enthralled by the picturesque scenery around them.10.安妮发现史蒂芬在走廊里感到很吃惊,她问自己,“晚上这般时候,他在这里干什么”Annie was surprised to find Stephen in the corridor. “What is he doing here at this hour of the night”she asked herself.11.我一下子不认识她了,她不是那个我熟悉的活泼的姑娘,而像一位时装模特儿,穿上新的绿色天鹅绒的长裙和绿皮鞋,头发盘在头顶上;For a moment I did not recognize her, for instead of the lively girl I knew, she looked like a fashion model in hernew green velvet dress and green shoes, her hair done up at the top.12.这是他四十年以来第一次回到家乡的农村,他怀着对过去眷念的回忆回来了;This was his first visit to his home village after forty years and he brought with him many nostalgic memories.13.那天晚上,她在床上翻来覆去不能入睡,脑海里掠过了各种念头;That night she tossed and turned in her bed, unable to sleep, all kinds of thoughts flashing through her mind.14.为十二个人做一顿丰盛的饭菜是一件挺麻烦的事;It is a quite troublesome job that cooking a good dinner for twelve.15.那对双胞胎姐妹非常相像,人们常常把她们两个人搞错;As the twin sisters look very much alike, people often mistake one for the other.16.老太太回到家里,发现门开着,梳妆台抽屉里的东西都被翻了出来,她试图查看少了什么没有,沮丧地发现好几件首饰不见了,包括一条项链、一对金链手镯以及三个宝石胸针;When the old lady got home, she found the door open and everything in the drawers of her dresser had been tossed out and turned over and over. She tried to check what was missingand found, to her dismay, several pieces of jewelry includinga pearl necklace. a pair of gold chain bangles, and threeprecious stone brooches had disappeared.17.我应当乘21路电车,于是,看到有一辆车来了,便尽快跑到车站,上了车;当我发现乘错车时已太晚了;我把15路车当了21路车,可是售票员说我可以在下一站换车;I ought to have taken trolley bus No. 21. When I saw one comingI ran as fast as I could to the stop and got on. It was toolate when I had taken the wrong trolley bus, for it was a No. 15which I had mistaken for a No. 21. But the conductor said I could change buses at the next stop.18.她最想念的朋友是小李,一个怕羞的女孩子;小李从来没有拒绝过她任何事情;The friend she missed most was Lee, a shy girl who had never refused her anything.1.Brief introduction about this article：Mrs. Taylor, an elder woman, who lived far away from her only alive son, felt very lonely. So she took a trip to escape loneliness. After a long and good preparation, she set out. During the trip, she encountered with many people, including a young man, who helped her carry the suitcase and cross the road. Then at the station , she made friends with a young mother, and became a "babysitter“of a baby boy. Because of lacking money, she had to get off the train at the next stop. Although it was such a short trip, she still felt very happy and excited.2. Why the author takes pains to give a detailed description of Mrs. Taylor's preparations for the trip —— Mrs. Taylor got up at 5 o'clock in the morning, dressed carefully, made up and packed her things.All of those indicate that she was very excited and looked forward to this trip. She took this trip very seriously because she still had an enthusiasm toward life.3. The dress didn’t fit her, but she liked its rich color and the feeling of opulence富裕it gave.In our opinion, Mrs. Taylor didn’t have much money to buy dresses, but she also desired wealth and wanted to be respected by others. Mrs. Eisen had given her this dress the year before, so she took it as a precious.4. Can we define Mrs. Taylor’s trip “a journey in search of relatives or love” Or in what sense was the trip important to Mrs. TaylorThe trip was important to Mrs. Taylor in that it satisfied her with what she lacks in her daily life, connected her to the world and the people again, and made her temporarily escape her dreary daily life.5. Why did her voice crack with emotion when the soldier walked awayShe felt sorry for him for fear that he might be punished because he had overstayed his pass. And the young soldier reminded her of her young Bert who had died in Italy.6. What do we learn from this storyFrom the story, we can learn that this little, old woman was poor and lonely. She lived in a dreary tiny room and received meager old-age pension to support the life. Nobody needed her, including her son. Meanwhile, we can also see her independence and optimistic. She had been lived alone for many years; even a short trip could satisfy her. What’s more, she was thirsty for familial affection and enjoyed being a babysitter. She loved her son but was ignored by him. Compared with her son, even the strangers cared more about her, which tells us that we should be concerned with the old, and should not let them feel lonely and abandoned.。
