Lecture2 Diction
dictation(2)
Unit oneThere are generally two educational methods: / the lecture method and the group learning method. / In a lecture classroom. / the teacher dominates the class / by doing most of the talking. / Students listen and take notes. / This method is best at passing on content to students. / It prepared students for a society / that values discipline and self-control. / The problem is that students forget most of the facts / that they have mechanically memorized. / In contrast, / the teacher of a group learning classroom / appears to have no definite role at all. / wandering about from group to group. / Students do not memorize information, / but they actually generate their own ideas, / each contributing insights for the success of the group. / This method prepares students for a society / that values creative ideas. / The disadvantage is that / student have not memorized enough basic facts.Unit twoEveryone is under some pressure / in the workplace. / some external pressures / can be a positive factor. / helping us to be more productive. / some people actually thrive / under short-term added pressure, / and our bodies are designed to meet these short-term demands. / hormones are released to prepare us / for a “fight or flight”response / to demanding situations. / however, excessive and prolonged stress / can take its toll, / producing a range of physical and emotional health problems / which have come to be grouped as “work-related stress.” / The experience of stress is different for every person. / Some people are affected more than others, / so what is stressful for one person / may not be stressful for another. / It can depend on your personality type / and on how you have learned to respond to pressure.Unit threeRecently in the United States, / there has been a debate concerning old drivers. / There have been a series of accidents/ committed by elderly drivers/ and they have given rise to new debates on the old issue: / how old is too old to drive? / Some people point to statistics// showing that older drivers drunk/ than teenagers,/ at least until they reach seventy-five. / Moreover, elderly drivers are less likely to drive drunk/ than other drivers. However, at least twenty-one states/ have special requirements on older drivers: / those over sixty-five and older/ are required to renew their driving license every year/ and undertake vision tests./ Taking away a license can rob older people of their independence/ and force them to rely on others / for trips to the grocery store or doctor’s office./ some people argue / whether someone continues to drive or not/ should be based on performance / not just simply age.Unit fourThe first of April is commonly known as April Fool's day / and it is the custom on this day / to pay a trick on a friend. / You do this by causing your friend to believe something / that it isn't true. / If your friend falls into the trap, / then he or she is an April Fool. / This strange custom has been observed / by both children and adults for centuries. / Its origin is uncertain / and may once have been cruel. / But today the tricks and practical jokes are harmless / and played mostly for fun. /Usually April Fools’ jokes are played on friends and colleagues/ but sometimes they are played on a wilder scale. / One serious national newspaper / reported on a new machine / to transport passengers from London to Australia in ten minutes. /Another published a four-page survey / of anonexistent island in the Pacific. / And even on BBC television news / there was an item / which showed a kind of Italian noodle / being harvested from trees.Unit fiveChildhood is less clear to me than to many people: / when it ended I turned my face away from it/ for no reason that I know about,/ certainly without the usual reason of unhappy memories./ For many years that worried me,/ but then I discovered/ that the tales of former children are seldom to be trusted. / Some people supply too many past victories or pleasures/ with which to comfort themselves,/ and other people cling to pains, real and imagined, /to excuse what they have become. /I think I have always known about my memory. /I know when it is ti be trusted/ and when some dream or fantasy entered on the life, / and the dream, the need of dream,/ led to distortion of what happened.Unit sixPoetry as an art form may have predated literacy. / Some of the earliest poetry/ is believed to have been orally recited or sung. / Following the development of writing,/ poetry has since developed into increasingly structured forms, / though much poetry since the late 20th century/ has moved away from traditional forms/ towards the more vaguely defined free verse/ and prose poem formats.Poetry is often closely related to musical traditions,/ and much of it can be attributed to religious movements./ Many of the poems surviving from the ancient world/ are a form of recorded cultural information/ about the people of the past,/ and their poems are prayers or stories/ about religious subject matter,/ histories about their politics and wars,/ and the important organizing myths of their societies.Unit sevenRumor is the most primitive way of spreading stories/ by passing them on from mouth to mouth./ But civilized countries in normal times/ have better sources of news than rumor. / They have redio, television, and newspapers. / In times of stress and confusion, however,/ rumor emerges and becomes widespread. / At such times the different kinds of news are in competition:/ the press, television, and radio versus the grapevine.Rumors are often repeated/ even by those who do not believe the tales./ There is a fascination about them./ The reason is that the cleverly designed rumor/ gives expression to something deep in the hearts of the victims:/ the fears, suspicions, forbidden hopes,/ or daydreams which they hesitate to voice directly./ Pessimistic rumors about the defeat and disasters show/ that people who repeat them are worried and anxious. /Optimistic rumors about record production or peace soon coming/ point to complacency or confidence/ and often to overconfidence.Unit eightScience, especially twentieth-century science, / has provided us with a glimpse of something / we never really knew before, / the revelation of human ignorance. / We have been used to the belief, /down one century after another, /that we more or less comprehend everything, / and that we have never lacked for explanations/ of the world and its ways. / Now we are being brought up short, / and this has been the work of science. / We have a wilderness of mystery/ to mak e ourway through in the centuries ahead, / and we will need science for this/ but not science alone. / We shall also need minds at work from all sorts of brains / outside the fields of science, /most of all the brains of poets, of course, / but also those of artists, musicians, philosophers, historians, writers in general.Unit nightIn the Chinese culture, / the whole process of preparing food / from raw ingredients to morsels ready for the mouth / is highly distinctive when compared with other food traditions. / At the base of this process / is the division between fan, grains and other starch foods, / and ts’ai , vegetable and meat dishes. / To prepare a balanced meal, / it must have an appropriate amount of both fan and ts’ai, and ingredients are readied along both tracks. / Grains are cooked whole or as flour, / making up the fan half of the meal in various forms./ Vegetables and meats are cut up and mixed / in various ways into individual dishes / to constitute the ts’ai half. /Even in meals in which fan and ts’ai are joined together, /such as in wonton, they are in fact put together but not mixed up, / and each still retains its due proportion and own distinction.Unit tenCollege writing, also called academic writing, / is assigned to teach you the critical thinking and writing skills / needed to communicate in classes and in the workplace. / To acquire and practice these skills, / you are asked to write many different types of assignments / under different circumstances. /Sometimes your teacher will assign a topic / and define the audience; / sometimes you will be called on / to define and limit the topic and audience yourself. / In any case, college writing teaches you/ about the series of decisions you must make/ as you forge the link between your information and your audience.Unit elevenA study of art history might be a good way / to learn more about a culture / than is possible to learn in general history classes. / Most typical history courses concentrate on politics, economics, and war. /But art history focuses on much more than this/ because art reflects not only the political values of a people, / but also religious beliefs, emotions, and psychology. / In addition,/ information about the daily activities of our ancestors/ - or of people very different from our own-/ can be provided by art. /In short,/ art expresses the essential qualities of a time and a place, / and a study of it clearly offers us a deeper understanding / than can be found in most history books.Unit twelveEnvision an ideal place / to live or run a business, / a friendly, safe and secure community / with large areas of open space / and extensive entertainment and recreational facilities. / Finally, picture this community continually moving around the world. / You are beginning to understand the freedom ship concept of / a massive ocean-going vessel. / With a design length of 4,500 feet, a width of 750 feet, and a height of 350 feet,/freedom ship would be more than 4 times longer / than the Queen Mary ./ The design concepts include a mobile modern city / featuring luxurious living, / an extensive duty-free international shopping mall, / and a full 1.7 million-square-foot floor / set aside for various companies / to showcase their products.Unit thirteenHow is it that hard work and greater efficiency / do not necessarily result in a sense of achievement?/ Social scientists draw a crucial distinction / between two words often used as synonyms:/ “efficient”and “effective.”/ “Efficient”emphasizes the means of production, /the degree of economy with which it is carried out, / while “effective” focuses on the result or purpose / for which the activity is carried out.It is noted that / by using a minimum amount of energy and time, / we can be very efficient / in performing a certain task. / Yet our work is actually effective / only when it contributes to our goals. / True effectiveness is not a matter of doing things right / but of doing the right things, / and we shouldn’t let the apparent success of being more efficient / mask the mistake of performing an activity / that is not important.Unit fourteenFamilies with children comprise 34% of / the homeless population of the United States, / and this number is growing. / Within a single year, nearly all homeless children have moved, / at least 25% have witnessed violence, / and 22% have been separated from their families. /About half of all school-age children experiencing homelessness/ have problems with anxiety and depression, / and 20% of homeless preschoolers have emotional problems / that require professional care. / Their education is often disrupted / and challenges in school are common.。
Lecture 2 Diction 1 (appropriateness)
Practice 2: Comparing the following three paragraphs, can you find out any differences in the language. Sample 1: There is nothing new in the recognition, within a given language, of a distinction between common usage and uses of the language for more restricted purposes and often enough, perhaps characteristically, more elevated purposes… Sample 2: What’s wrong with the student-union bookshop? Everything. It’s interested in selling sweatshirts and college mugs rather than good books. Its staff often is incompetent and uncivil. The manager may not be intelligent enough even to order a sufficient number of copies of required textbooks for the beginning of a term. Sample 3: My mother’s kitchen was full of junk food which I have ever seen. My house was full of apples and peaches and milk and coffee—which were nice, and good for you, but not right before dinner or you’ll spoil your appetite. My sister’s house had nothing in it that was good for you.
Chapter 2 - Diction
Chapter Two: DictionLevels of English1.Formal Wordsa.Can be called: ‗learned words‘, ‗literary words‘ or ‗big words‘.ually used by people of special professions or fields, on specialoccasions or for special purpose.c.Appear in formal writing and Speaking.d.Generally contain three or more than three syllables.e.Give impression of education.f.Often stem from Greek or Latinmon Wordsa.Frequently used by ordinary people for ordinary purposesb.From the core of the English vocabularyc.Often used in everyday conversation and in informal writing like personalletters, diaries and stories3.Colloquial Worda.Mainly used in informal or familiar conversationsually short words of one or two syllablesc.Mostly of Saxon origin4.Slang worda.Highly informal– limited or specific contextual usage.b.May be vivid and interesting.c.Can make the writer or speaker sound offensive or funnyThe Meaning of Words1.Two aspects: denotative and connotative.a.Denotative meaning: what it literally means, as defined by thedictionary.b.Connotation meaning: the feeling or ideal suggested by it.2.Word OriginWords of Anglo-Saxon origin are generally more informal than those of Latin, Greek or French origin.3.SynonymIt is difficult to find two words that are exactly the same in meaning and use.They may have different: stylistic levels, degrees of emphasis, emotions, intones, or collocation.4.NB:Do not take the Chinese equivalent of an English word as its exact meaning. It is impossible to understand the meaning of an English word from its Chineseequivalent.5.Understandinga.To understand the meaning of an English word; find out how it is definedin a dictionary with explanations and contextual/practical usage.b.You do not know a work unless you can explain: what it means, theemotions it gives, when to use it and why you would use it.General & Specific Words1.General words:a.Words referring to groups or classes not to individual things2.Specific Wordsa.Words referring to individual persons, objects or events.b.Specific words help to make writing clear, exact, vivid, and striking:they are more informative and expressive than general words.ageing specific words should go along with providing details – Creatingeffective and impressive writing.b.The more detail the betterc.Mix emotions, feelings, visual observations and other senses together tocreate a full picture of your meaningIdioms1.Idioms:a. A fixed group of words with a special meaning which is different from themeaning of the word that form it.b.Frequently used in speech and writing.c.They help to make one‘s language sound natural and idiomatic.d.NB: idioms should be ‗peppered‘ – do not use them too muche.NB: Idioms are fashionable – do not use old or out of fashion idioms.age:a.Most idioms are informal or colloquial in style and can be used inconversation; but a few are slang and should be used with care.b.Many idioms have become clichés and are no longer fresh or interestingand should be used sparingly.Figures of Speech1.Simile:a. A comparison between two distinctly different things and the comparisonis indicated by the word as or like.b.Example: ‗He sleeps like a pig‘2.Metaphor :a.The use of a word which originally denotes one thing to refer to anotherwith a similar quality. It is also a comparison, but the comparison isimplied, not express with the word as or like.b.Example: ‗He is an Ox‘3.Personification:a.Treating a thing or an idea as if were human or had human qualities.b.In poetry personification is very common.c.Example: ‗The wind whispered to me…‘4.Metonymy:a.Substituting the name of one thing for that of another with which it isclosely associated.b.Example: ‗The White House –American Government‘5.Synecdoche:a.When a part is substituted for the whole or the whole is substituted for apart.b.Example: ‗Mexico Vs. Kazakhstan‘ [a football match: two teams]6.Euphemism:a.It is the substitution of a mild or vague expression for a harsh orunpleasant one.b.Speaking of something in a allusive mannerc.Example: ‗We watched a DVD together‘ [a Boyfriend & Girlfriend in abedroom]7.Irony:a.It is the use of words which are clearly opposite to what is meant, inorder to achieve a special effect.b.Example: ‗you are the best parents in the world‘ [during an argument]8.Overstatement and understatement:a.In overstatement the diction exaggerates the subject.b.Example: ‗this bag weighs a ton!‘c.In understatement the diction plays down the magnitude or value of thesubject.d.Example: ‗this bag weighs nothing!‘9.Transferred epithet:a. A transferred epithet is one that is shifted from the noun it logicallymodifies to a word associated with that noun.b.Example: ‗Brave Achilles‘, ‗Grey-Eyed Athena10.Oxymoron:a.In oxymoron apparently contradictory terms are combined to produce aspecial effect.b.Example: ‗The friendly Shark ‘11.Alliteration:a.It refers to the appearance of the same initial consonant sound in two ormore words.b.Example: ‗amazing maize maze‘Dictionariesing dictionariesa. A foreign learner of English needs to keep a good dictionary handy whenhe reads or writing, it will help him a great deal in learning and usingwords.b.Look it up in a dictionary when in doubt about spelling, division, andpronunciation of a word.c.To one learning to write, the most useful information a dictionary containsis the definitions, together with examples or illustrations and usage labelsand note.d.Words that are not labeled in a dictionary are supposed to belong to thegeneral vocabulary, and therefore they can be used for ordinary purposes.e.NB: Do not rely on your phone translators, they cannot understandcontextual usage!Questions1.Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions:Language is our facility to talk to each other. The word ‗talk‘ is used not merely to avoid a rather more technical and high-sounding word like ‗communicate‘; talk is more precise and more relevant to the special nature of human language than ‗communicate‘.In the first place, all creatures –cats, sparrows , and bees —can be said to communicate with each other to some extent. They can attract each other‘s attention, warn of danger, woo their mates, and direct the way to food. We are still learning just how well animals can communicate with each other, but there can be no doubt that animal communicate is wholly rudimentary as compared with the complex and subtle control of language possessed by even the least intelligent or least educated of us.It is therefo re appropriate to say that language involves ‗talk‘ to emphasize that language is a peculiarly human activity.Questions:a.Is the style of the passage formal or informal?b.From what type of book is this passage taken? What do you think is thepurpose of the book?c.Is the book written for scientists or for ordinary readers?d.Are there slang expressions in the passage? Are there formal words in it?Give examples2.Look at the following word which are formal words which are informal words?3. In each sentence, choose the more precise of the two in italics, and explain your reasons.a. A few listeners were disinterested / uninterested and dozed off.b.Though she has grown up, her behavior is often childlike / childish.c.I am quite jealous / envious of your opportunity to study at such a famousuniversity.d.Her clothes, though made of cheap / inexpensive material, are quite elegant.e.This homely / ugly old man is a well-known musician.f.I am sorry to refuse / decline your invitation.g.He was surprised / stunned to find that his little sister had become a pretty,slim / skinny young woman.h.My uncle become fat / stout as he grew older.i.this servile man was especially modest / humble when he was talking with hissuperiors.j.I asked every / each boy in the group the same question, and interestingly, everyone / each gave me a different answer.k.The enemy troops were driven back when they attempted / tried to cross the border.l.They all felt sympathy/ pity for the victims of the disaster and made donations.m.Empress Dowager Cixi was famous / notorious for her cruelty.n.Is that old / elderly woman / lady sitting on the bench your mother?o.4.The following words are rather general in meaning. Think of a word that is morespecific. the figure of the speech of the following sentences:a.As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.明喻b.We are lucky, what you said makes me feel real good.反语c.I spent sleepless nights on my project.转类修饰语d.The world is a stage.暗喻e.The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, the furrow followed free.头韵法f.Her rich relatives rained birthday presents on her only son.暗喻g.Wrong ideals may harm a man just like diseases明喻h.Some words may be defaced by careless usage.Transferred Epithet 移位修饰i.The leaves are trembling in the cold wind.拟人j.The storm was so angry that it wanted to destroy everything in its way.拟人k.Many people bowed before Force, but eventually Force would surrender to Reason.拟人l.Selfless people are like cows, which eat straw but produce milk.明喻m.―W hat do you think of the roast duck?‖ ―Not bad.‖委婉语n.His friends praised his daughter‘s performances to the skies.夸张o.His writing is clear and clean. 头韵法p.His unfriendly tongue surprised her. 移位修饰q.There is fertile soil for popular music in China today.暗喻r.I felt as a bird must feel when it has flown across the ocean and comes upona creature that knows its nest.明喻s.He is so fascinating to me, even the fish smell on his hand was kind of perfume.暗喻t.She is a social butterfly .暗喻u.Nobody disputes the need to answer nature‘s most basic call, but some wonder who should foot the bill for an adequate supply of public toilets.v.I should said that, reticence was not your strong point.。
英汉互译2-diction
Unit 2 Diction (遣词用字)Some background information about this unit:a)No context, no text.b)What is context?Context, as the term suggests, refers to all the different situations involved in language communication.语境，就是产生语言活动的环境，包括时间、空间、语言交际参与者及语言活动的目的等，反映在文字材料中也称上下文。
语境是一切语言活动存在的前提。
Firth: each word when used in a new context is a new word.Some examples:▪I’ll finish the book next week.▪“我”是谁？finish的具体措辞究竟是：看完、写完、审完？▪Tension is building up.形式紧张起来。
/ 张力在增大。
/ 电压在增加。
/ 压力在增强。
/ 血压在增高。
/ 气压在加强。
/ 情绪越来越紧张。
/ 紧张局势在加剧。
Without context, both “tension” and “build up” may have various explanations.▪I’m through.通话完毕，结束了。
(AmE)电话接通了。
(BrE)1. Equivalence between English and Chinese at Word Level1.1 Word-for-word equivalenceThis is most shown in proper nouns and technical terms.▪Marxism 马克思主义▪Aspirin 阿司匹林▪Laser 激光▪Leukemia 白血病1.2 One word with multiple equivalents of the sameThis is a common case in translation.▪Wife: 妻子、老婆、夫人、老伴、媳妇、爱人、内人……▪Potato: 马铃薯、土豆、洋芋、山药蛋……▪人：human being, man, people, person…▪犬：dog, hound, spaniel, mastiff, pointer, setter, retriever, terrier…1.3 One word with several equivalents of different meaningsThis is also very common in translation.▪cousin: 堂兄、堂弟、堂姐、堂妹、表哥、表弟、表姐、表妹……▪president: 总统、主席、总裁、董事长、议长、会长、社长、校长……▪carry: 搬、运、送、提、拎、挑、担、抬、背、扛、抱、搂、举、端、夹、捧……▪走：walk, saunter, amble, stride, trudge, shamble, prance, scamper, clump, tiptoe.▪羊：sheep, goat, ram, ewe, lamb1.4 Equivalents interwoven with one another1.5 Words without corresponding equivalentsIn this case, an explanation is given instead of an equivalent.▪teenager: 13到19岁的青少年▪cyber slacker: 利用工作时间在公司上网、做与工作无关的事情的雇员▪阴：yin (in Chinese thought) the soft inactive female principle or force in the world▪阳：yang (in Chinese thought) the strong active male principle or force in the world2. Methods of discriminating the original meaning of a given word2.1 According to word formation▪parabiospheric: 外生物层的para- (outside), bio- (biologic), spheric (having the form of a phere)▪pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis 肺尘病，硅酸盐沉着病pneumono (of lung) ultra (beyond) micro (very small)scopic (of viewing or observing) silico (of silicon) volcano (of volcano)coni (koni, of dust) osis (forming the name of a disease)2.2 According to the referenceIn many cases the meaning of a pronominal word may be judged from the references.▪He [father] sent John to the university and was eager to have him distinguish himself.他送约翰上大学，巴望儿子能出类拔萃。
商务英语教学课件chapter 2 diction
1. Use the reader’s position or job title:Loan Officer
2. Use a general group to which your reader belongs: Dear Investor: Dear Admissions Committee:
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商务英语教学课件chapter 2
0
dicti
Thanking you in advance. Better: Thank you for…
Attached/Enclosed please find/You will find/Please find enclosed two copies of our invoice No.456.
Effective writing balances
all three sentence types
If you use too many simple sentences, your writing sounds childish and cannot properly express the relationship among ideas.
When you know your reader’s name but not the gender. You may use the reader’s full name in the salutation:
Dear Chris Crowell, Dear J.C. Meath,
When you know neither the reader’s name nor gender. You have several options:
Do not use Dear Sir or Madam:, Dear Gentlepersons:, or To whom it may concern. These terms may be nonsexist, but they are stuffy, and sound silly.
新编英语教程第二册UNIT 2 dictation and translation答案
Note WritingReference version:6 June, 20__ Dear Mary and John,We have just moved to a suburban district in southwestern Shanghai. Now that everything is more or less orderly again, we are going to have a house-warming party this coming Saturday afternoon, 11 June.We want you to see for yourselves that living in the country is not so terrible after all, what with the fresh air, clear sky and, above all, the subway that can take us to the city proper almost in no time.We will have a good time on Saturday, we are sure. Many old friends are coming, too. Give us a ring to say that you are coming.Yours,Jill and JackDictation A:The motion picture is a highly complex art form which combines many other arts. The filmmaker is a writer using language, a music ian using music. He is a painter concerned with composition, light, and color. He is a sculptor moulding forms in space, a choreographer shaping human movement. With the camera as the major tool, the filmmaker recreates the external world. Using the came ra and putting pieces of film together or separating them in the editing process, the filmmaker powerfully controls time and space. A gunfight can become a ballet in slow motion. The act of climbing a short flight of stairs can be extended to seem like a n endless journey, and an airplane can be made to cross continents in seconds. In the theatrical film, the filmmaker uses these and many other artistic techniques to tell a story.Not all films are made to tell stories or to be shown in theatres. Filmmake rs can also use their craft for other purposes than to create a work of art and entertainment.B:An opera is a play with music. The actors sing some of the words instead of speaking them. In grand opera, they sing all the words. The music and singing portay the moods of the story and the feelings of the characters in it.To appreciate an opera, you should go and see one. Listening to opera on the radio or on records does not give much idea of what it is really like. Going to an opera can be very exciting. There is usually a large orchestra, and a chorus of singers as well as the leading singer. The scenery is colourful and the stage lighting often very dramatic. Although parts of an opera are treated in such detail that the action is rather slow, the beauty of the songs compensates for the breaks in the action.However, it is not always easy to appreciate opera. Sometimes the words are in aforeign language, often Italian. Even if the opera is sung in English, it is sometimes difficult to make out the words. It helps if you get to know the story first. The programme always contains an outline of the story, so make sure you buy one at the oopera house or theatre and read it before the curtain goes up.TranslationA.1.Can you produce any evidence that he was not at home that night?2.Whatever was said here just now must be kept secret.3.If the trip costs no more than 100 yuan, you can count me in.4.Every night before going to bed, Mr. Smith goes round the house to make sure that all the doors and windows are locked and that all the lights are off.5.He did tell you the truth, but you simply did not believe him.6.My delay in answering his letter worried him so much that he made a non-stop flight to come to see me.7.When I told him that his father had been sent to hospital because of a heart attack, he looked as if he didn’t care.8.The bus suddenly stopped; a heavy bag fell from the rack above him and landed on his head.B.Where did the movies begin? It is often said that they are an American invention; but this is not entirely true. The motion picture has been the most international of the arts. At the end of the nineteenth century, inventors in France, England, and the United States were among the dozens of men who were trying to develop ways of using photographs to create the effect of motion.Soon after 1889, when the famous American inventor Thomas Edison first showed motion pictures through a device called the kinetoscope, other devices for the same purposes appeared all over the world. Edison had solved certain problems, making it possible for other inventors to develop their own devices. One other important contribution by Edison was the introduction of 35mm. as the international standard film width. When it became possible to use an y 35mm machine for showing movies from any part of the world, the international trading of films began to take place.。
Unit Two Diction
Part 2 Levels of Words
The words that we come across can be divided into 3 types, according to a stylistic point of view:
formal, common, and colloquial.
I feel that paying attention to words used around you is the best way to increase your working vocabulary. If you are really into improving the number of words you know, you can use such vocabulary-improvement lessons as are in the Reader's Digest.
3.1 Don't need long words Television commentator William S. Buckley has a tremendous vocabulary and would often overpower his debate opponents through the use of long words, whose definitions only highly literate people would know. He wouldn't win on logic of argument but on frustrating his opponents.
3.4 Summary
A good vocabulary does not mean you know many long or difficult words. Instead, it means that you know how to express yourself so that the reader will understand your material. Sometimes is it necessary to use industry-specific jargon, but you still must make sure everyone understands what you are writing. It is worthwhile to constantly work at improving your knowledge of words.
现代大学英语听力2_练习答案diction部分
Social customs and ways of behaving change. But they do not necessarily always change for the better. Things which were considered impolite many years ago are now acceptable. Just a few years ago, it was considered impolite behaviour for a man to smoke on the street. No man who thought of himself as being a gentleman would make a fool of himself by smoking when a lady was in the room.The important thing to remember about social customs is notto do anything that might make other people feel uncomfortable—especially if they are your guests. There is a story about a rich nobleman who had a very formal dinner party. When the food was served, one of the guests started to eat his peas with a knife. Other guests were amused or shocked, but the nobleman calmly picked up his knife and began eating in the same way. It would have been bad manners to make his guest feel foolish or uncomfortable.Undoubtedly, Tibet is one of the harshest places for human existence. It is cool in summer but freezing cold in winter. In Lhasa, the mildest city in Tibet, temperatures may exceed 29 degrees Celsius in summer while plummeting to -16 degrees Celsius in winter! Sun radiation is extremely strong in Tibet. The sunlight in Lhasa is so intense that the city is called Sunlight City. The thin air can neither block off nor retain heat so that there are great temperature extremes on the same day! The average temperature in northern Tibet is subzero and winter arrives in October until the following May or June. July and August are the best time to visit the area, enjoying warm temperatures, intense sunshine, beautiful scenery and festive events. May, June and September represent the tourist season in east Tibet. In winter, roads are all blocked by heavy snow. Landslides and rock falls frequently occur, which will make travel difficult.I could hear the guard blowing his whistle, so I ran on to theplatform and up to the train. Luckily, someone saw me coming, a door opened, and I jumped on while the train was moving out of the station.“Phew!”I thought. “That was hard work!”I was sure the other passengers could hear my heart beating; it was so loud, and I was in a cold sweat.After a while, I recovered, and had a look at the other passenger.The compartment was full, but I was the only one standing. The people in the carriage turned their eyes away as they noticed me looking at them. All except one, a beautiful woman sitting in the corner. I saw her watching me in the mirror. Automatically, I adjusted my tie. She had seen me running for the train: maybe this was my lucky day after all. I prepared to say hello.She spoke first, however. “Would you like my seat?”she asked.“You look rather ill.”That was the day on which I realized I was getting middle-aged.Aesop was a very clever man who lived in Greece thousands of years ago. He wrote many good fables. Hewas known to be fond of jokes. One day, as he wasenjoying a walk, he met a traveler, who greeted him andsaid, “Kind man, can you tell me how soon I shall get totown?”“Go,” Aesop answered.“I know I must go,” said the traveler, “but I should like you to tell me how soon I shall get to town.”“Go,” Aesop said again angrily.“This man must be mad,” the traveler thought and went on.After he had gone some distance, Aesop shouted after him, “You will get to town in two hours.”Thetraveler turned round in astonishment. “Why didn’t youtell me that before?” he asked.“How could I have told you before?”answered Aesop. “I did not know how fast you could walk.”Americans know that higher education is the key to the growth they need to lift their country, and today that is more true than ever. Just listen to these facts. Over half the new jobs created in the last three years have been managerial and professional jobs. The new jobs require a higher level or skills.Fifteen years ago the typical worker with a college degree made 38 percent more than a worker with a high school diploma. Today that figure is 73 percent more. Two years of college means a 20 percent increase in annual earnings. People who finish two years of college earn a quarter of a million dollars more than their high school counterparts over a lifetime.I began my career during college, reporting on news stories at a Toronto radio station. The station’s program manager was also a professor who taught one of my classes. I convinced him that she needed a youth reporter because that year was International Youth Year. After graduation, I took a job as a television news reporter and later, news anchor. But sports reporting was something different so I decided to try it. Figure skating was my first assignment.I had two months until my new job began. It was like waiting an entire summer for school to start. I spent those two months talking to figure skating coaches and judges. I read boring rule books I drove to the rinks where the skater trained, and made notes about our conversation. I even took a lesson, which made some of the skaters laugh.Thomas Edison was often said to be the greatest genius of his age. There are only a few men in all of history who have changed the lives of other men as much as the inventor of the first useful electric light. But Edison could never be happy just because someone said he was a genius. “There is no such thing as Genius,” Edison said. He said that what people called genius was mostly hard work.But Edison was a dreamer as well as a worker. From his earliest days as a child he wondered about the secrets of nature. Nature, he often said, is full of secrets. He tried to understand them; then, he tried to learn what could usefully be done with them.Edison enjoyed thinking. He knew that most people would do almost anything instead of the difficult work of thinking, especially if they did not think very often. But he knew, too, that thinking could give men enjoyment and pleasure.The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says hunger kills millions of people each year—especially children. The UN organization says millions more people will die unless more money is invested to fight against hunger.This is based on the results of a new UN study called “The State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2002”. It found that more than nine million people die each year from huger. Six million of them are children younger than age five. Researchers also found that the number of starving people is growing in some parts of the world.The report says that about eight hundred and forty million people around the world are not getting enough food to eat. Ninety-five percent of these people are in developing countries.。
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Lecture2DictionPart1Varieties of English1.1Variation in English1.2Style&Register(P14)Formal spokenAddress at Gettysburg,1863Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation,conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.Now we are engaged in a great civil war,testing whether that nation,or any nation so conceived and so dedicated,can long endure…....It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion;that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain;that this nation,under God,shall have a new birth of freedom;and that government of the people,by the people,for the people,shall not perish from the earth.1.3Spoken&written(1a—6b,P14)Spoken:More informal,More personal,Less concise,Less organizedActive voice,Simple connectors,wordyWritten:More formal,More impersonal,More precise,Economical in the use of words,Passive voice,Complex connectors,conciseMore example:(a)Cleared,the site would be very valuable.(b)If it were cleared,the site would be very valuable.(written)1.4Formal&InformalWord choice(a)The concert concluded with a performance of Beethoven’s5th symphony.(formal)(b)They ended the concert with Beethoven’s5th symphony.Grammar use(a)Bill speaks French more fluently than I.(formal)(b)Bill speaks French more fluently than me.1.5General EnglishA middle course between formal and informal levelsUsually the best choice for college or business writingFormal general informalAutomobile car wheelsVisage face mugOdious offensive grossAttire clothes threadsSpectacles glasses specsIn your dictionary,you may find special usage labels for words or particular definitions of words that differ from the general English vocabulary.Word usage label meaning1.Unalienable archaic,obsolete inalienable2.Nowheres nonstandard,colloquial nowhere3.Copper slang police officer1.6Ex:ConsistencyAppropriate diction requires a consistent style.Writers should not mix formal and informal language.For example(Ex.1,P20):1.Please let me express my gratitude for having been a guest at your house last Saturday night.I had bags of fun that evening.(mixed)…………………I enjoyed the evening enormously.dies and gentlemen,it’s awfully nice to see you here.(mixed)Ladies and gentlemen,it’s so nice to see you here.3.Do you take this chap to be your lawfully wedded husband?(mixed)Do you take this young man to be your lawfully wedded husband?Part2Meanings of Words2.1Denotation&ConnotationDenotation:Dictionary meaning;Literal meaning that most readers would agree on Connotation:Overtones or implied meaningsWINTER“Winter”denotes“the coldest season of the year,regarded in the North Temperate Zone as including the months of December,January,&February.”ughter drives winter from the mind.(sadness)2.She gave a wintry greeting to her colleagues.(cold)“Winter”also connotes many feelings or ideas as“bitter,cold,icy,barren,chill, white,dead trees,snow,&dormant(stop growing but alive)”at the same time.2.2Words can be labeled commendatory,neutral or derogatory.1.Slender--thin--skinny2.Plump--fat--obese3.Fragrance--smell--odor--stench2.3The words we choose show our attitude.The skinny woman slinked in.The slender girl glided in.Both sentences describe the same event but show different attitudes.So graceful was the ballerina that she just seemed to__glide____.2.4Pay attention to both the literal and suggestive meaning;otherwise our words may clash.E.g.The speaker manipulated the members of the audience by presenting the evidence to refute their arguments.Revised:The speaker convinced the members of the audience by presenting the evidence to refute their arguments.Or:The speaker manipulated the members of the audience by presenting only the evidence that would disprove their arguments.Part3Figurative LanguageWriters use figurative language to draw a comparison between two things that are essentially different but alike in some underlying and surprising way.In this way,they add vigor to their prose.The two chief figures of speech are simile and metaphor.3.1Similes use“like”or“as”1.For a diligent student,failing to pass the final exam is like a sudden death.2.A person who gains knowledge but fails to put it into practice is like someone who ploughs a field but does not sow it.Explain the similes1.Words are like bees:they have both honey and a sting.Words may both hurt and please people.3.2Metaphors imply a comparison without using“like”or“as”1.Karen was a Fourth of July firecracker,exploding out of the house after doing her chores.2.A child’s mind is a bank—whatever you put in,you get back in ten years with interest.Explain the metaphors1.Family life in my parents’home was based upon a cosmic order:Papa was the sun; Mamma,the moon;we kids,minor satellites.In my family,Papa was the most important;Mama,the second most important,and we kids the least important.2.Dress is language.Our dress tells other people much about our personality.Figurative headlines in the sports section of local papersRaiders Pillage JetsTigers Claw BearsLakers Drown TrojansCowboys Whip TigersJets Blast DolphinsThunder Wither MayflowerPart4Using Appropriate Words4.1general&specificGood writers help their readers follow the meaning by balancing general words—those that refer to groups or classes of things—with specific words—those that refer to individual things.Specific words are often concrete words;they name things we can see,hear,touch, taste,or smell.For example:Doctor---physician,surgeon,dentistBad---evil,wicked,notorious,harmful,unfavorableWalk---creep,tiptoe,limp4.2Make the abstract specific!Happiness is a cancelled8:00class on a cold,rainy morning.Panic is realizing that next Wednesday’s test is this Wednesday.4.3Principles of word preferencee a vivid verb1.The boy walked into the classroom.The boy staggered into the classroom.2.I don’t care for noodles and choose not to eat them.I hate noodles and refuse to eat them.4.3.2.To communicate,not to impressJohn displayed an element of delight over the acquisition of a stereo system of unquestionable quality.Revised:John was thrilled to buy a high-quality stereo system.4.3.3.To show,not to tellMatthew put up a good fight against the bully.Revised:Matthew blooded the bully’s face and knocked him down twice before getting knocked out.4.4Common wording problems4.4.1Using the wrong word1.I have been very alone(lonely)today.2.There is an alive(live)snake on the road.4.4.2Failure to choose the best word1.I did(made)a mistake during the exam.4.4.3Using the wrong form1.He was sending(sent)to school when he was six.2.Mrs.Jones helps me how to revise a sentence.Mrs.Jones helps me to revise a sentence.4.4.4Using words that do not go togetherAccuse with(of)Accustom with(to)Adhere in(to)Angry at a person(with)Apologize about(for)Bored of(with)Comply to(with)4.4.5Redundancy1.The reason why we honor Lincoln in these various ways is because he saved the Union.We honor Lincoln because he saved the Union.2.There are four strangers pounding on the door.Four strangers are pounding on the door.课后练习及答案（P20-23)1.The following sentences are not consistent in style.Improve them.1)Please let me express my gratitude for having been a guest at your house last Saturdaynight.I had bags of fun that evening.2)Ladies and gentlemen,it’s awfully nice to see you here.3)Do you take this chap to be your lawfully wedded husband?4)He was in deep sorrow because his father had kicked the bucket.5)The old guy is impoverished.2.Change the colloquial expressions into more formal ones.1)The police are looking into the matter.2)She had realized her own difficult things.3)We must use the available natural resources.4)Guys in the South of Chinese speak in a different way from people in the North.5)We want to report them to the police.6)The police asked me if I have a gun.7)Tom’s unhappy married life ended in divorce.8)They have found many spelling errors.9)The buying power of the dollar has declined.10)She’s never on time for appointments.3.Write the letter of the word pair with the same relationship as the word pair in capital letters.1)Cause:effectA)drought:famine B)plumber:wrench C)baker:bread D)oak:tree2)Metal:copperA)zinc:tin B)court:lawyer C)shellfish:oyster D)ruler:measure3)Beetle:InsectA)snow:precipitation B)rodent:squirrel C)fish:bowl D)cup:saucer4)Prophet:futureA)genius:math B)strategy:coach C)architect:drawing D)historian:past5)Interview:hireA)talk:discussion B)run:marathon C)meeting:decide D)game:compete6)Flour:breadA)debt:payment B)farmer:land C)shoe:sole D)cloth:flag7)Racket:tennisA)calculator:accountant B)bow:archeryC)fencing:sword D)uniform:soldier8)Flower:tulipA)deer:buffalo B)plumber:wrench C)automobile:sedan D)oak:tree9)Result:outcomeA)real:genuine B)sword:shield C)wood:desk D)team:victory10)Writer:bookA)salesman:cashier B)preacher:churchC)ship:sailor D)composer:symphony4.Pick the word choice whose connotation is more appropriate.1)The snow(buried,blanketed)the mountains,inviting more tourists.2)So neat were the dinner guests that only a few(foul,unclean)napkins were left.3)As soon as danger threatened,the sentry(abandoned,left)his post.4)Our freshmen English teacher would(flatter,praise)us only when we had clearly madeprogress.5)The defendant was judged not responsible for the crime since he was temporarily(insane,crazy).e more specific and concrete words for the italicized1)I think Professor Smith is a bad teacher.2)Our college provided the students with some fine programs.3)It was a cold morning.4)I like my English teacher because she has a nice character.5)After a day’s hard work,I walked towards my apartment.6.Give out the specific words.1)see:2)get:3)trees:4)flowers:5)money:Key to exercises in Chapter21.The following sentences are not consistent in style.Improve them.1)had bags of fun that evening→enjoyed the evening enormously2)awfully→so4)kick the bucket→died5)guy→man3)chap→youngman2.Change the colloquial expressions into more formal ones.1)look into→investigate2)thing→situation3)use→utilize4)guys→people5)want→intend6)have→possess7)end→terminate 8)many→numerous9)buy→purchase10)on time→punctual3.Write the letter of the word pair with the same relationship as the word pair in capital letters.1)A2)C3)A4)D5)C6)D7)B8)C9)A10)D4.Pick the word choice whose connotation is more appropriate1)blanketed2)unclean3)abandoned4)praise5)insane。