大学英语泛读第八单元

泛读Unit 8: The life of Samuel JohnsonI. Reading for research purpose (研究型的阅读)1. What is the research question?2. What is the popular opinion on the topic?3. How was the topic verified/proved?4. What are the comments on this topic?5. Direct and indirect resources for the justification of the conclusion for the research question? （1st hand and 2nd hand supporting materials）II．Biography：what is special about this person？•塞缪尔·约翰逊(Samuel Johnson),英国作家,批评家。

（1709—1784）英国文学史上重要的诗人、散文家、传记家和健谈家，编纂的《词典》对英语发展作出了重大贡献。

•约翰逊一生著述甚丰，最有影响的却是完成于1755年的两卷本《英语词典》（The Dictionary of the English Language）。

在长达150年的时间里，这本词典一直是最权威的英语词典，直到20世纪初才被《牛津英语词典》取而代之。

III. New words1.Excite---To call forth (a reaction or emotion, for example); elicit:激起：使唤起（例如，反应或感情）；导致：odd noises that excited our curiosity.古怪的噪音激起了我们的好奇心2. contempt---Disparaging or haughty disdain, as for something base or unworthy; scorn.轻蔑：贬抑性的或傲慢的轻视，如对卑贱或低劣的东西；鄙视The state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace.耻辱：被鄙视或侮辱的状态；丢脸3. entertain---To consider; contemplate:考虑；深入思考：entertain an idea.考虑一个主意To hold in mind; harbor:抱着；怀有：4. adopt---take and follow, take on5. resolve---To make a firm decision about.做决定：作出关于…的坚定决定To cause (a person) to reach a decision.使下决定参见decide---resolution6. dedicate---To address or inscribe (a literary work, for example) to another as a mark of respect or affection.题献：在（例如，一部文学作品）上题献词表示尊敬或爱戴7. courtly---Elegant; refined:典雅的；有教养的：courtly manners.温文尔雅的举止8.soothe--To bring comfort, composure, or relief.起抚慰、镇定和减轻作用9. insinuate---To introduce or insert (oneself) by subtle and artful means.迂回：用微妙和机灵的方式做（自我）介绍、献媚求宠10. conciliate---To gain or try to gain someone's friendship or goodwill.See Synonyms at pacify博得好感：得到或试图得到别人的友谊或好感参见pacify11. gratify---To please or satisfy:使人高兴或满足：His achievement gratified his father. 他的成就让他的父亲高兴To give what is desired to; indulge:放任：给…所渴望得到的；沉溺于：12. perusal---peruse (To read or examine, typically with great care.)细读，细察：以极其细致的方式阅读或查阅13. naturalize---To adopt (something foreign) into general use.采纳：接纳（外国的一些事物）并普遍应用To adapt or acclimate (a plant or an animal) to a new environment; introduce and establish as if native.使（动、植物）顺化：使（植物或支物）适应或驯化在一个新的环境；当作土生的介绍和安置14. arduous--Demanding great effort or labor; difficult:艰巨的：需要很大努力或工作的；“the arduous work of preparing a Dictionary of the English Language”(Macaulay)“制作一本英语语言词典的艰巨工作”(麦考利)15. despise---To regard with contempt or scorn:鄙视：用轻蔑和指责对待：despised all cowards and flatterers.鄙视所有的胆小鬼和溜须拍马者To dislike intensely; loathe:15. artifice---An artful or crafty expedient; a stratagem.诡计：狡猾或狡诈的手段；计谋Subtle but base deception; trickery.阴谋：精明的但是卑鄙的欺骗；圈套16. civil---Sufficiently observing or befitting accepted social usages; not rude:有礼貌的：充分地遵守或符合公认的社会习俗的；不粗鲁的：a civil reply.有礼貌的17. posterity---Future generations:后代：“Everything he writes is consigned to posterity”(Joyce Carol Oates)“他所写的一切都是为了后代”(乔伊丝·卡罗尔·奥茨)All of a person's descendants.后裔：一个人所有的子孙18.overpower---To overcome or vanquish by superior force; subdue.制服以较强力量征服；压制To affect so strongly as to make helpless or ineffective; overwhelm.压倒，使无法忍受：影响如此之大以至于使无助或无效力；压倒19. contend----To strive in opposition or against difficulties; struggle:争斗：对抗性地或与困难armies contending for control of strategic territory; had to contend with long lines at the airport.军队为了控制战略领地而奋战；在机场必须忍受大排长龙To compete, as in a race; vie.竞争，如在竞赛中；争夺20. repulse---To drive back; repel.击退：击退；驱逐，赶走To rebuff or reject with rudeness, coldness, or denial.回绝，拒绝：断然拒绝；粗鲁、冷漠地拒绝；否定21. patron----One that supports, protects, or champions someone or something, such as an institutuion, an event, or a cause; a sponsor or benefactor:赞助人，资助人：支持、保护或维护某人或某事如机构、事件或事业的人；赞助者或捐助者：A noble or wealthy person in ancient Rome who granted favor and protection to someone in exchange for certain services.（古罗马）贵族：古罗马的贵族或有财势的人，给某人以恩惠和提供保护，受保护者作为交换提供一定服务22. encumber---To hinder or impede the action or performance of:阻碍或妨碍…的行动或执行：restrictions that encumber police work.23. cynical---Scornful of the motives, virtue, or integrity of others:愤世嫉俗的，讽世的：对别人的动机、善行或正直鄙视的：a cynical distrust of friendly strangers; a cynical view of the average voter's intelligence.对和善的陌生人轻蔑的不信任；对每个投票者的智力表示轻视的看法Expressing or exhibiting scorn and bitter mockery:挑剔挖苦的，冷嘲热讽的：表达或显示出责备和激烈的嘲讽：24. asperity---Harshness of manner; ill temper or irritability.粗暴：态度粗暴；25. exultation---The act or condition of rejoicing greatly.狂喜，欢跃：欢跃或狂喜的行为或状态26.boast----To speak of with excessive pride.夸耀：用特别得意的口气说话27. condescension---The act of condescending or an instance of it.屈尊：屈尊的行为或其事例28. congenial----Having the same tastes, habits, or temperament; sympathetic.同类的：具有同样的品味、习性或性情的；同情29. assail---To trouble; beset:使苦恼；困扰：was assailed by doubts.为疑惑而困扰30. fallacious---Tending to mislead; deceptive:误导的：倾向于误导；欺骗性的：fallacious testimony.产生误导的证词disappointing令人失望的a fallacious conclusion谬误的结论IV. fast readingPassage 0ne:1) What quality is emphasized in this passage about Johnson?2) What is the common feature among all his works?3) Do you understand Johnson’s implied meaning in his comments on getting drunk? A drunkard; drunk as a fish4)What did the so-called philosopher’s say about the poor?—MC 45)How did Johnson retort(反驳）this philosopher?6)What did he say about the poor’s happiness?Words and expressions1) tired metaphor---overused implicit comparison陈旧的比喻（暗喻）E.g: All the world is a stage世界是一台戏2）fatuous--- unconsciously 愚蠢的;自以为是的3) providence---The care, guardianship, and control exercised by a deity; divine direction:天意：神的旨意：4) vexation--- irritation or annoyance.烦恼5) malefactor---One that has committed a crime; a criminal.罪犯：犯了某种罪行的人；6) Translation of the last sentence.Insensible—unconscious无知觉的Insensive---Susceptible to the attitudes, feelings, or circumstances of others.敏感的：易受他人的态度、感情或情况影响的•贫困的人对很多小的烦恼无知觉；而这些烦恼有时让富人痛苦，玷污他们的享乐。

Unit8incense[ˈɪnsens](n) 香；香味eg: The musty aroma of incense made her head swim.(v) 激怒eg: This proposal will incense conservation campaigners. hustle[ˈhʌsl](v) 催促赶紧做eg : You’ll have to hustle if you’re to get home for supper.猛推强迫eg : He grabbed her arm and hustled her out of the room. (n) 忙碌奔忙eg : We escaped from the hustle and bustle of the city for the weekend.hustle and bustle 熙熙攘攘eg : Shell Cottage provides the perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of London.intricate['ɪntrɪkət] adj.①节繁多的eg: A silver bracelet with some intricate scrollwork clung tohis right wrist. 右腕有一只花纹细致的银手镯。

②错综复杂的eg: I have a novel with an intricate plot.我有一本情节错综复杂的小说。

dwarf [dwɔrf]n.矮子eg: He is a dwarf.他是个矮子。

v.使矮小,使相形见绌eg: The old houses were dwarfed by the huge new tower blocks.stumble/ˈstʌmbəl/(v.)跌跌撞撞地走，蹒跚; 结巴; 弄错，失足; 偶然碰见(n.)绊脚，失足; 差错，失误; 过失，失败;Eg：You just stumble on it?beckon /ˈbɛkən/(v.)（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤;eg. Sorry to interrupt, but cocktails beckon us tonight.astoundverb 使震惊；使惊骇e g. The news astounded me.gourmet①adj 优质的e g. gourmet coffee②n 美食家eg: He is a famous gourmet.Words in textⅠheritage['hɛrɪtɪdʒ]n.遗产eg: The building is part of our national heritage.这个建筑是我们民族遗产的一部分。

College English Reading Course 1Unit 8Text 22I. Vocabulary《大学英语课程教学要求》(积极词汇用红色标出)一般要求（4级）词汇：decline v. / n.衰败, 衰落due 应付的; 到期的; 应到的e.g. His paper was due 2 days ago. （应交的）typical a. 典型的, 代表性的(typify v.) length n.长度(a. lengthy冗长的)analysis n. 分析(pl. analyses) elaborate a. 精心制作的, 详细阐述的authority 权威，威信sociology社会学(sociological a. sociologist社会学家) statistic n.统计量adj. 统计的, 统计学的(statistical a. statistics统计学; 统计数字[资料]) lawn bureau（政府机构的）局teenager 13至19岁的青少年suspect estimate n. / v. 估计, 估价standard标准convince v. 使信服w itness v. 目击cash deserve v. 应得; 应受(赏罚等) survey v. / n.对…进行数据调查较高要求（6级）词汇：adolescence青春期(一般指从青春发育期到成熟期13至15的转化阶段)stereo立体声；立体声系统（亦作：stereo set）更高要求词汇：hamburger (口语burger) shovel n. 铲子；铁锨铲v. 铲mowUseful Phrases and Expressions:student employment学生就业avoid sb.’s eyesa heavy course load 沉重的课业(load负荷, 装载量; 工作量)Parents often endorse this employment…endorse v. 1)在（支票）背面签字;2) to give approval of or support to, especially by public statement支持, 尤以公开声明形式；赞同, 认可hold regular jobs 固定工作/ work regularly regular source of income 固定的收入来源to argue my case 争论或诉讼中支持某一方的事实或论点(argument)mow lawn修剪草坪other than: except除了, 除了…以外(不包括) in contrast 与此相反,相比之下come up with 想出、找到(答案, 解决办法); 提出, 拿出(建议、计划)to have an (unfair) advantage over 比…有优势to push (burgers): to promote or sell (a product) 推销、宣传促销或出售产品e.g. to pushing one’s business 推展业务push one's goods 推销货物wait on服侍, 招待designer jeans 名牌的，带有特定设计师标志图案的hard-earned money辛苦得到的凭血汗赚来的ready cash 现款,现钱look upon…as 把...看作,视为pay the price for 为...付出代价part-time students兼职的/ full-time students专职的out- : prefix [加在动词、部分形容词及名词前] “胜过”, “超过”,e.g. outgrow长得比...快; (因年龄增长而)放弃outperform vt. 做得比…好，胜过outwit vt. 智胜outnumber vt. 数目超过II. Difficult Language Points in the Text1. Yet in all the lengthy analyses of what's wrong with American education, I have not heard employment by students being blamed. (Line 14)employment by students: having part-time job while studying in school or university Translation: 但是在所有这些冗长的关于美国大学教育问题的分析中，我没有见到有对学生打工进行批评的言论。

泛读1答案Unit7-8Key to Lesson191.1)F2)T3)T4)F5)T6)F7)T8)F2.1)A2)C3)B4)C5)B6)A3.1)他是怎样看出我的心思的？2）历尽千辛万苦，我总结出一条经验：外出旅行，你要是聪明过度，反而得不偿失。

3）这个主意似乎好得令人难以置信。

4）我打定主意，无论如何也要弄到一个单间。

5）“你不舒服吗？”他例行公事似的问了我一句。

6）众人患难，无须犯愁。

8)untileven givingresults.know whatcourt.him.other’s deepestthrough big2)think about a problem until you find the answer3)are very interested4)give5)arranging or organizing6)to get in touch with2.1)take notes on2)cases3)hints4）overlooked5)suggested6)available7)pretty8）in person9)sourceKey to Lesson211.1)T2)F3)F4)T5)T6)F7)F8)T2.1)到那时为止，他只举办过几次小型画展。

2）他的朋友们都说他颇有人格魅力，只是外表上显得有些古怪。

3）但是这次采访比预计得还要糟糕得多。

4）女记者用恰到好处的腔调问哈姆先生，他作为画家对社会起了什么作用。

她想了解一下，他觉得一位画家的职责是通过他的作品来教育人民，还是给他们增添愉悦。

5）画画就好像挖煤一样，它是用来填补生与死之间这段时空的职业，而他碰巧干得还不错。

6）他一下子转过头来，炯炯有神地看着她。

9)prove17)asKey to Lesson23Comprehension of the text:1.1)F2)F3)T4)F5)F6)T7)F8)T2.1)B2)C3)A4)C1.1)to avoid seeing someone远离2）to delay someone延误3)not to lose保留、保持4)to own and look after5)to write down details of things as they happen记录下来6)not to tell anyone about a secret that you know保守秘密7)to support供养8)to make something not change保持9)the act of watching something carefully in order to warn people of any danger注意、留心10)to prevent…from doing防止、阻止2．1）Most firms hope to hire males because females are more likely to be affected by marriage and family life.2)The study found that people with heart diseases were40per cent less likely to laugh in avariety of situations compared to healthy people of the same age.3)A quarter of young drivers said they often exceeded the speed limit,and were three-timesmore likely to be fined for speeding.4)Internet bars that provide download of the PC game“Hearts of Iron”or fail to stop customersfrom downloading or playing it,will be fined or closed.5)Despite sharp criticism,employers continue to defend their preference for male collegegrads.Key to Lesson24没有放稳的行李就会掉下””Learning to use the useful phrases and expressions from the text1．1)E2)D3)H4)J5)B6)G7)A8)I9）C10）F2．1）Each day there are a good number of people on their way to somewhere around the world.Some are travelling for pleasure,while others on business.2）When we were travelling in Europe,we usually rode in the train from one country to another.3)He drew me a map to make sure I could easily find his apartment.4)It’s good manners to tip a waiter or waitress for the service you have received when youdine out.5)The worst thing about working in the shop is that you’re on your feet all day.。

英语泛读教程3第三版第八单元课文翻译假如给我三天光明原文：At times my heart cries out with longing to see all these things.If I can get so much pleasure from mere touch,how much more beauty must be revealed by sight.Yet,those who have eyes apparently see little.The panorama of colour and action which fills the world is taken for granted.It is human,perhaps,to appreciate little that which we have and to long for that which we have not,but it is a great pity that in the world of light the gift of sight is used only as a mere convenience rather than as a means of adding fullness to life.If I were the president of a university I should establish a compulsory course in“How to Use Your Eyes”.The professor would try to show his pupils how they could add joy to their lives by really seeing what passes unnoticed before them.He would try to awake their dormant and sluggish faculties.Suppose you set your mind to work on the problem of how you would use your own eyes if you had only three more days to see.If with the oncoming darkness of the third night you knew that the sun would never rise for you again,how would you spend thosethree precious intervening days?What would you most want to let your gaze rest upon?I,naturally,should want most to see the things which have become dear to me through my years of darkness.You,too,would want to let your eyes rest long on the things that have become dear to you so that you could take the memory of them with you into the night that loomed before you.I should want to see the people whose kindness and gentleness and companionship have made my life worth living.First I should like to gaze long upon the face of my dear teacher,Mrs.Anne Sullivan Macy,who came to me when I was a child and opened the outer world to me.I should want not merely to see the outline of her face,so that I could cherish it in my memory,but to study that face and find in it the living evidence of the sympathetic tenderness and patience with which she accomplished the difficult tasks of my education.I should like to see in her eyes that strength of character which has enabled her to stand firm in the face of difficulties,and that compassion for all humanity which she has revealed to me so often.I do not know what it is to see into the heart of a friend through that“window of the soul”,the eye.I can only“see”through my finger tips the outline of a face.I can detect laughter,sorrow,and many other obvious emotions.I know my friends from the feel of their faces.But I cannot really picture their personalities by touch.I know their personalities,of course,through other means,through the thoughts they express to me,through whatever of their actions are revealed to me.But I am denied that deeper understanding of them which I am sure would come through sight of them through watching their reactions to various expressed thoughts and circumstances,through noting the immediate and fleeting reactions of their eyes and countenance.How much easier,how much more satisfying it is for you who can see to grasp quickly the essential qualities of another person by watching the subtleties of expression,the quiver of a muscle,the flutter of a hand.But does it ever occur to you to use your sight to see into the inner nature of a friend or acquaintance?Do not most of you seeing people grasp casually the outward features of a face and let it go at that?Oh,the things that I should see if I had the power of sight for just three days!翻译：我的心时时在呼号，渴望能见到所有这一切。

TEXT AAnimals or children? — A scientist's choice动物还是孩子？—— 一位科学家的选择1 I am the enemy! I am one of those cursed, cruel physician scientists involved in animal research. These rumors sting, for I have never thought of myself as an evil person. I became a children's doctor because of my love for children and my supreme desire to keep them healthy. During medical school and residency, I saw many children die of cancer and bloodshed from injury — circumstances against which medicine has made great progress but still has a long way to go. More importantly, I also saw children healthy thanks to advances in medical science such as infant breathing support, powerful new medicines and surgical techniques and the entire field of organ transplantation. My desire to tip the scales in favor of healthy, happy children drew me to medical research.我就是那个敌人！我就是那些被人诅咒的、残忍的、搞动物实验的医生科学家之一。

Reference Key to Unit 8Main ReadingVocabulary in ContextDefinitions: 32132131I. A1.The designers need to focus more on the small design changes that can make a large impactimmediately.2.reduce, reuse, and recycle.3. a design approach that focuses on a product’s material and energy use.4．Because its hard-wearing clothing and practical image are welcome to the young adults focused on basic values.5. Because with the failure of Sony and Hitachi which try to compete against each other, they propose reducing features as a way to stand out from othersB.1. The benefits of downsizing: The downsized products not only expend less material, they also decrease shipping costs and retail space.2. The benefits of reducing features: We are in favor of everyday niceties such as one-touch uploading, single-handed use, and pocketability. Reducing features also improves the ability to recycle a product.3. The benefits of increasing longevity: The designs increase product utility and alleviate the need for multiple purchases and help manufacturers sustain income without habitual replacement. Higher profit could be sought:II..A.1. “For that matter, it takes time for new, greener materials to become truly affordable.2. Downscaling involves small, consistent improvements across one (or more) of three dimensions: size, features, and longevity.3. The second way to downscale a product is to reduce features. Most companies add features as a way to stand out from their competition4. In this case the goal is to reduce the product replacement cycle, or simply started, to make aproduct last longer.5. But new strategies can help manufacturers sustain income without habitual replacement.B.have been adapted compensate criterion habitual certifyenthusiast utility. alleviate capture affordableRelated Reading:Prepare to Read：I. A.1. similar features2. increase3. (of a policy or situation) take effect, with unpleasant consequences4. to manage a difficult experience without being seriously harmed5.To persuade someone to do, have or use something6. A large and likely to cause serious difficulty or harm7. A sudden and complete failure of a company, organization, or system.8. to balance the effect of something, with the result that there is no advantage ordisadvantageI. B.1．欧元区的经济衰退的前景似乎远远比乐观主义者们预期的要快。

Unit 81 TextRevision Time Goes Onlineby Tim EwingtonHome learning is critical to exam success and the computer industry is strengthening links between family and school. Free internet access at home is a huge step in making online education accessible to everybody. As students start to sweat in the run-up to their exams, many of them are turning to the web to supplement their knowledge. The following text is a description of some websites of this in Britain.The tension is rising in the Kelly household. Two dates are ingrained in the family's collective consciousness: May 22 and June 19. They mark the first and the last of Paula's written GCSE1exams. “All the time I feel that I need to do a lot more revision. I know I must get down to it,” says 15-year-old Paula, who is a student at Victoria College in Belfast. “It's not so much my parents who are putting pressure on me, though I know my mum's a bit uptight, but I have two older brothers and a sister and they all say that they were doing a lot more revision at this stage than I am.”Across the country, 700 000 students and their families will heave a collective sigh of relief when the exam season comes to an end. “Even my granny is telling me to do more revision,” says another 15-year-old, Steve Burge ss from West Yorkshire, who is sitting nine GCSEs. “The dog seems to be the only one who doesn't use the dreaded ‘R' word every time he sees me.”When exams were invented so too was revision, but two inventions have transformed the way we prepare. A generation ago, revision notes became a lucrative industry, published under such imprints as Brodie's and York. The second, to which Paula and Steve's generation is turning, is the internet.The leading exam revision site is GCSE Bitesize, from the BBC. It received almost 750 000 hits each week in mid-March, and expects to double that number this month. Channel 4's more broadly based service, Homework High, which helps students aged 9 －16 with their homework, is claiming up to 1.3m hits2 per week.The demand has put tremendous pressures on both services. “Every day we have more than 3 000 kids trying to ask our teachers a question online,” says Paul Ashton, the commissioning editor fo r special projects at Channel 4, “but the most we can manage is 300 answers. We also had to close the chat rooms because they were far too successful. As more students joined in, new chat rooms automatically opened, and at one stage we had 30 chat rooms supervised by only one moderator.There are good reasons for this phenomenal demand. Students are one of the groups most likely to have access to the internet in Britain. Research recently conducted by NOP Kidsnet shows that 57% of school-age children can now access to the internet either at home or school, up from 51% just six months ago. Internet penetration rises to more than 70% for 15- and 16-year-olds who are studying for GCSEs, in contrast to less than 30% of the population as a whole.Feedback shows that important student needs are being satisfied by the internet. Websites provide information, support and encouragement when parents aren't around; students having difficulties in particular subjects can choose their own pace, away from the classroom, to study examples, tests and explanations on the web; students who are missing school through illness can keep up. Of most concern, many students say that websites provide better resources and support in the lead-up to exams than their weaker teachers.Pau la Kelly is sanguine about online revision. “I have used the sites a bit, but not that often. They have really helped in specific areas, such as science －it is so useful to see exam questions and ideal responses as a guide, particularly when you are less confident in that area. I do get frustrated, though, when I know what I want is out there but it takes a long time to find.”Judith Addley, one of Paula's teachers, reflects the views of many professionals. “Revision sites don't replace traditional approaches such as note-taking and practicing exam papers －nothing can do that －and they certainly aren't a substitute for hard work. But Bitesize and the rest are a really good part of the mix and I am sure that they will become better in the future.”We all know that revision is boring, but because the online approach can be quite different from that of a teacher, studying alone can break a mental log jam. Steve Burgess, who is finding the revision of factual subjects such as history and geography hard to face, says: “After reading and writing notes for a few hours, it's great to revise on the computer. The sites are more interactive, with tests that the computer marks and perfect answers so you know what you're aiming for.”He is far more effusive about revising online than Paula. “I found it so difficult to start revising, but I have used the websites most days. When I sit with books and notes and try to learn them, my mind starts wandering after 10 minutes, but I like computers and because I have to move around the site and fill in the answers, it keeps me going. If I haven't touched the keyboard or the mouse after 60 seconds, I can't hide from the fact that I'm doing nothing.”In surveys, helping their child's education is the most important reason parents give for buying computers with net capability, so demand for online revision and homework services is set to grow. With the government's information-technology initiatives taking effect, the number of students with net access at school has now overtaken those with access at home, and, one way or another, three quarters of school-age children are expected to be online within the next year.Though only two years old, the BBC's GCSE Bitesize is the daddy of internet sites for schools. As the name suggests, it provides revision in chunks that are easy to digest, covering 11 key subjects closely matched to the national curriculum.“Bitesize was initially targeted to help every student using the service to gain at least a grade C,” says Frank Flynn, the head of commissioning for schools and colleges at the BBC. “Since the launch, we have added more stretching material. Our long-term aim is to raise the standar ds achieved. We have a proven ability to do so.”Among educators, there is much debate about the effectiveness of learning with a computer. What is clear is that the quality of the content and the nature of the interactivity involved is critical. Simply sitting in front of a PC －surprise, surprise －does not help a student learn, but certain types of computer-based interactive exercises are particularly effective, especially for students who find it difficult to acquire knowledge through reading and listening.The BBC has already extended its service to help Key Stages 2 and 3 students facing exams this month and has ambitious plans for the future. In four years' time, BBC Online's content will cover most of the national curric ulum, from the age of five through to GCSEs. Flynn explains: “We want to provide comprehensive, integrated learning packages that will build a bridge between home －and school-based activities. We want our online materials to draw in students who are in danger of being turned off learning but also to allow more ambitious students to approach the whole curriculum at their own pace.”Channel 4's Homework High is more funky. Five cartoon-style characters inhabit the school, representing English, maths, science, geography and history. The site shows no lack of confidence, describing itself as the world's best homework website. It is very good. Students can ask questions at the end of school, between 4pm and 5.30pm, or at home between 6.30pm and 9pm Monday to Thursday. If your question is accepted, it will be answered within 24 hours, faster than on other free sites, and the quality of the answers is high. The level of demand means you have only a one in 10 chance of receiving a reply, but the reserve of 10 000 answers that has already been built up means that there should be solid, if less specific, help in most areas.“We are very careful about the answers given,” says Paul Ashton of Channel 4. “We provide colloquial advice so that students receive immediately useful help but can't simply copy the answer into an essay. They have to think about the response, what it means, and then mould it into their work.”Homework High is expanding to catch up with demand. New teachers are on their way, the service is being extended to Sundays and students' questions will be answered by star guests as diverse as poets and scientists, to offer a contrasting style of answer to those of teachers. The chat rooms will be more controlled and there will be rooms for both students and parents －separate, of course.In the meantime, let's wish every success to Paula, Steve and all those students and their families facing their final weeks of revision leading up to GCSEs.(1461 words) 译文：网上复习时间蒂姆·埃云顿课后学习对考试的成功十分关键，而电脑业正加强家庭与学校之间的联系。