大学英语预备级2-第4课

Lesson 4 New Y ork第四课纽约(1) Pre-reading activities:Information related to the text1. New Y orkNew Y ork is the largest city of the United States. Its largeness can be seen from the following figures. It has a network of 320 kilometers of subway routes, about 800 kilometers of bus routes with 62 big bridges and 9,600 kilometers of street within the city. It has 8 railways and 50 airlines. Kennedy International Airport is the most important airport.New Y ork City is to the southwest of Boston. It is mainly situated on Manhattan Island which, with an area of about 60 square kilometers, is between the Hudson River on the west and the East River on the east. New Y ork is also the largest sea port in America. It has a waterfront which runs about 1,200 kilometers long and each year over 13,000 ocean-going ships dock here.New Y ork is a municipal corporation and enjoys a considerable degree of self-government.Besides Manhattan, it has four other boroughs: Brooklyn, Bronx, Richmond, and Queen‟s. Brooklyn is in the s outhern part of Long Island which faces Manhattan. The Brooklyn Bridge which connects the two islands is world-famous. The Bronx, mainly for the blacks and other poor minorities, is the poorest borough of the city.Almost all the streets in New Y ork runs across each other at a right angle, turning the city into something like a checkerboard. Each check is called a block. All the streets running south to north are called avenues, with First Avenue on the east side and Twelfth Avenue on the west side. All those running from east to west are called streets, with First street on the south side. The famous Fifth Avenue runs up the center of Manhattan Island from south to north. It is a street of fashion and shopping center. Broadway, a center of theaters, is different from other streets in that it runs almost across the island ina southeast-north-west direction. Each year its theaters give manyperformances which attract large numbers of people from all over the country.Wall Street, though not very large but walled by skyscrapers of large banks and offices of big companies, is a financial center of the capitalist world.Both Columbia and New Y ork Universities are on the island, while China-town is situated in its southern part. Harlem, the black district, is in the northeast corner, not far from Columbia University.New Y ork is vital important in finance and transportation and foreign trade, and it‟s also an industrial center and makes varied industrial products. The metropolitan area, i.e. the city proper plus suburbs, spreads over such a large area that the train from New Y ork to Boston or Washington travels betweenbuildings for most of the way, about 600 kilometers. One can hardly tell where New Y ork City ends and how many area it includes. That‟s why peo ple have different ideas as to whether New Y ork City is the world‟s “biggest” town.2. The Statue of LibertyNearly at the gate of New Y ork harbor, there is a small island of 12 acres, which was formerly called Bedloe‟s Island but is now called Liberty I sland. On this island stands the 305 feet tall statue of liberty. It was given by France as a gift.3. ManhattanAlthough Manhattan is not all of New Y ork, it is the heart of the city. It is an island, which is only 12 miles long and 2.5 miles wide. From the air its shape looks like a long finger. Those tall, straight buildings --- the skyscrapers --- packed so close together on that island of rock are sometimes seen in the distance through a veil of early morning mist. If one wants to describe Manhattan, “greatest”, …tallest‟, …longest‟, …brightest‟, etc. are perhaps the words he would like to use.Introductory remarksNew Y ork is the biggest city in America. Therefore without knowing something about New Y ork, your knowledge of America will certainly be quite incomplete. This lesson is a good introduction of this world famous city. After you read over the text, you will be sure to know New Y ork better.I. W arm-up questions1.How long is the history of New Y ork? ( 300 years.)2.What has made New Y ork famous? ( Its tall buildings.)3.Is New Y ork beautiful at nightfall? ( Y es, it is.)II. Language Points:1.… some three hundred year.“some” is used adverbially, meaning …‟ about or approximately, before numbers.Examples: That was some twenty years ago.Our class has some thirty students.2.The Dutch settlers were defeated without a real fight.Defeat vt. beat; win a victory over sb. in any kind of struggle.Examples: Our Army has defeated the enemy!It was lack of money, not of effort, that defeated their plan.Note the difference between …defeat‟ and “win”.The enemy troops were defeated. The Red Army won the battle. 3.It speeded up to a certain degree in the 19th century.1)speed up: increase the speed (of)They have speeded up the train service.The car speeded up when it reached the country.The new improved equipment will undoubtedly speed up production.The train soon speeded up.2)to a certain ( a great, some) degreeTo some degree you are right.To what degree are you interested in that book?4.The New Y ork of today came into shape only within the last century.Come into shapeWith a few more days‟ work, the garden will come into shape.Wait until my ideas come into shape.The cloud came into the shape of a lion.5.Manhattan is but 12 miles by 2.5 miles at its widest part.“But” here is an adv. meaning “only”We can but try. He is but a boy.If I could but talk to you for an hour.6.… the city has grown upwards, instead of outwards.1) upward(s) adv. outward(s) adv.Similarly formed are the following words:downward(s) forward(s) backward(s) eastward(s)westward(s) southward(s) northward(s)2) instead of: in place of; as an alternative to or substitute forI will go instead of you.Shall we have fish instead of meat today?He has been playing all afternoon instead of getting down to his work.We‟ll have tea in the garden instead of in the house.7.on either side: on both sidesThere are shady trees on either side of the road.Curtains hanging on either side of the window.8.It makes one feel as though he were walking through a deep valley.As though ; as ifHe talks as though he knew everything.He looks as if he had seen a ghost.That old man works as though he were a man of twenty.9.… but now it has been topped by another taller buildingtop vt.: surpass; be taller or higher than; cover with a topProduction in many factories topped the highest level in history.He tops us all at table tennis.A mountain topped with snow.10.… although the majority spend most of the day there.Majority n.: greater number or part (of); (opposite; minority)The majority of people seem to prefer watching games to playing games.The majority were (was) in favor of the proposal.The proposal was passed by a majority of ten.11.Early every morning, the human river begins to pour in from alldirections:Pour vt., vi.: (cause) to flow in a continuous streamPlease pour a cup of tea for me.Pour cold water on sb.Tourists pour into London during the summer months.Letters of complaint poured in.The crowds were pouring out of the football ground.12.New Y ork at nightfall loses its hard character during the day.At nightfall; when night falls; in the evening13.On the quiet waters is cast a dark outline of the pale moonlight.1)waters: the water of the stated river, lake, etc.the waters of the lake 湖中的水cross the waters （诗）漂洋过海the upper waters of the Y angtse 长江上游水域2)cast: throw; allow to fall or dropThe fisherman cast his net into the water.Cast a shadow on sb. cast an eye at sth.; look at sth.14.Straight ahead, row upon row, are millions of colorful lights rising higherand higher to the top of the buildings, which are like the crown of thequeen of American cities.The queen of American cities: New Y ork, the largest and the mostimportant city of America.15.For although New Y ork is not the capital of the United States, nor even thecapital of New Y ork State, it is the Empire City.1)the capital of the United States --- Washington, D.C.2)the capital of New Y ork State --- Albany16.… The leading stronghold of American capitalism: the most important cityof capitalist America.Homework: To review words and phrases in Lesson 3 and finish the exercises.(3) Post-reading: check the answers to the exercises of Lesson 4(4) Homework: preview Lesson 5.。