Unit Fourteen

Step one

The study of new words:

Joke:

1）n. 笑话，玩笑

eg. His attempts at cooking are a complete joke. 他总也做不好饭，这事成了个笑话。

make a joke about/of sb/sth: 拿某人/某事开玩笑

2）v. joke with (sb) (about sth) : (以某事)（与某人）开玩笑；说笑话儿

eg. I was only joking. 我不过是说着玩儿的。

Agree:

1) agree to sth 同意，答应（某事）

eg. Is he going to agree to our suggestion? 他会同意我们的建议吗？

2) agree (with sb) (about /on sth) 同意，赞同，（与某人）意见一致

eg. Do you agree with me about the need for more schools? 关于多建一些学校的事，你同意我的意见？

3) agree with sth (与某事物)相一致；相吻合

eg. Your account of the affair does not agree with mine. 这件事你的说法和我的说法不一致。

The verb agrees with its subject in number and person. 动词在数和人称上与主语一致。

Travel:

1) n. 旅游，旅行

eg. He wants to write an account of his travel. 他想写一部游记。

2) v. 行走，旅行

Would you like to travel with me? 你愿意和我一道旅行吗？

Care:

1) n. take care of sb/sth

eg. My sister is taking care of the children while we’re away. 我不在的时候，由我妹妹照看孩子。

v. 忧虑，关心，惦记

eg. Don’t you care about his country’s future? 难道你不为国家前途担忧吗？

All she cares about is her social life. 她所关心的是她的社交活动。

Stand:

1) 站立，直立，

eg. She was too weak to stand. 她虚弱得站不起来。

2）高度为…

eg. He stands six foot two. 他身高六英尺二英寸。

3）忍受，容忍，经得起（不用于被动语态，尤用于否定句和疑问句中）

He can’t stand hot weather. 他受不住炎热的天气。

I can’t stand him interrupting all the time. 他老是插嘴，真让我受不了。

stand by: 袖手旁观

How can you stand by and let him treat his child like that? 他那样虐待小孩，你怎么能袖手旁观呢？

Pay: 交付，付清

Are you paying in cash or by cheque? 你用现款还是用支票付？

eg. pay taxes, rates, rent, etc. 纳税，交地方税，缴租

Discuss: 谈论，讨论，议论，商量（名词是discussion）

eg. We discussed when to go. 我们商量了什么时候动身。

They discussed selling the house. 他们商量过卖房子的事。

Step Two

The study of grammmar:

形容词比较级和最高级的构成：

形容词比较级和最高级的构成有规则变化和不规则变化两种情况。大多数形容词的比较级和最高级属规则变化。

形容词比较级规则变化是形容词+er或more+形容词，最高级的规则变化是形容词+est或most+形容词。

情况	形容词	形容词比较级	形容词最高级
单音节词末尾加-er和-est	tall	taller	tallest
	short	shorter	shortest
	quick	quicker	quickest
	hard	harder	hardest
以e结尾的单音节词只加-r和-st	brave	braver	bravest
以e结尾的单音节词只加-r和-st	fine	finer	finest
以一个辅音字母结尾的重读闭音节单音节词，先双写这个辅音字母，再加-er和-est	big	bigger	biggest
	hot	hotter	hottest
	fat	fatter	fattest
以辅音字母+y结尾的双音节词，先变y为I再加-er和-est	heavy	heavier	heaviest
	pretty	prettier	prettiest
	happy	happier	happiest
少数以-er, -ow, -le结尾的双音节词，加-er或r和-est或st	clever	cleverer	Cleveresst
	narrow	narrower	Narrowest
	simple	simpler	simplest
多音节和多数双音节词，均在词前加单词more和most	valuable	more valuable	most valuable
	danger	more danger	most danger
	difficult	more difficult	most difficult

形容词比较级和最高级的不规则变化:

少数形容词有其特殊的比较级和最高级，因它们常用须特殊记忆。

原级	比较级	最高级
good, well	better	best
bad, ill	worse	worst
little	less	lest
many, much	more	most
old	older(elder)	oldest(eldest)
far	farther(further)	farthest(furthest)
late	later	last

NOTE: 1) old有两种比较级形式，用法不同。older的意思是：较老（旧）的，说明人的年纪或事物年代的久远；elder的意思是：较年长的，用来区分家庭成员等的长幼。

eg. This is my elder brother. He’s two years older than I .

2) far也有两种比较级形式，用法不同。farther表示距离：“较远的”，而further既可表示“较远的”，也可用于表示“进一步的”。

eg. Tom jumps farther/further than Mary.

Next week we’ll have a further discussion.

副词比较级和最高级的构成：

绝大多数的副词比较级和最高级的构成是在副词前加单词more.

eg. quickly more quickly, most quickly

happy more happy most happy

一些副词比较级和最高级的构成与形容词完全相同（参见前表）

eg.

副词	比较级	最高级
hard	harder	hardest
fast	faster	fastest
well	better	best
badly	worse	Worst
little	less	lest
much	more	most
early	earlier	earliest

比较级和最高级使用中注意的几个问题：

1）形容词、副词比较级后加than

eg. She plays table tennis better than I . 她打网球比我好。

My cold is worse today than it was yesterday. 我的感冒今天比昨天严重。

2）在最高级之后常用of.

eg. This is the best of the three books. 这是三本书中最好的一本。

3) 最高级之前一般要加the，但以下几种情况不用定冠词the。

a. 形容词最高级作表语，无一定范围或同类事物作比较，只用来与本身作比较时，前面不加the。

eg. The lake is deepest at this point.

b. 形容词最高级用来加强语气，有“非常、极其”的意思，前面不用the，有时可用不定冠词。

eg. She was in closest touch with me.

He is a most learned man.

c. 形容词最高级前面有物主代词或指示代词、名词所有格等限定修饰语修饰时，不用the。

eg. John’s greatest wish is to become a pilot.

d. 当两个形容词最高级同时修饰一个名词时，后一个形容词最高级前通常省略the。

eg. She is the youngest but tallest girl in her class.

形容词、副词比较级的一些用法：

“the + 比较级……+ the + 比较级”结构用以表示“越是……, 就越…”

eg. The harder you work, the more you will learn. 你越努力，学到的就越多。

The more we have, the more we want. 人欲无穷。

“比较级+and+比较级”表示“越来越……”

eg. The weather is getting colder and colder. 天气越来越冷。

more和less

more与一些形容词和副词可以构成比较级，在两者进行比较时，表示一方高于另一方。与more相反，less可以用来表示一方低于另一方。

eg. This question is less difficult than that one. 这个问题比那个要简单一点。

形容词和副词比较级前面往往可以加一些修饰语来表示程度，如：much, a lot, far, a little, a bit 等。

eg. The crops are growing much better than last year and we’ll get a lot more food.

Step three

The study of the text:

1. Read the text and answer the following questions briefly.

When is it cheaper to travel to Spain and Greece?
Which is a cheaper way to go to those two places?
Which country do most people think is prettier?
What are the advantages of Spain?

2. Explain the text.

Text

Which Holiday?

Spain and Greece are now more popular than France or Italy. Travel to both places is cheaper in early summer. It is also cheaper to go by plane than to go by train, and it’s easier to get a ticket in May than June, July or August.

NOTE:

1) popular在这里是“受欢迎”的意思。

2）Travel to both places是做句子的主语。这句话的意思是“早夏去这两个地方旅行比其他时候去要便宜”。

3）get = buy

Most people think that Greece is prettier. Others say Spain is hotter and more expensive. Certainly hotels in Spain are far more expensive than hotels in Greece, but also they are more comfortable. Greece is much more interesting and it is far quieter than Spain.

NOTE:

1) others = other people

2) far 是修饰expensive 比较级的。

3）but also 意思是“同样”

Spain is nearer and one can get there more quickly. But Spain can be very crowded. Some people feel that Greece is more beautiful, the air is cleaner and the sea is bluer. Also the food is simpler in Greece.

“Which Holiday?” prefers Greece this summer. Greece is the better choice.

NOTE:

1) one = people 是泛指人。

2) can 在此表示推测，可能发生。

3) feel = think

4) “Which Holiday?”在句中作主语，它是一个杂志的名称。这句话的意思是：“那个假日？”推荐这个夏天去希腊度假。

3. Do exercise1 on page 207.

4. Do the exercise 2,3 from page 208 to page 209.

5. Explain the text on page 210 and do all the exercises.

6. Do exercises on page 213.

Step four

1. Explain the text.

On Holiday

Mrs. White became ill on holiday. She took some medicine, but felt no better and in fact she felt worse and worse. She couldn’t stand the hotel, and she and her husband complained to the manager about the staff. The staff spent less and less time working and more and more time talking.

NOTE：

1) become = get, become ill 意思就是“生病了”

2）“吃药”要用take, 而不能用eat, 正确是“take medicine”。

3）stand 是“容忍”的意思。

4）complain to sb about sth 向某人抱怨某事

eg. She complained to her husband about his smoking.

5) spend (time/money) doing sth

eg. The teacher spent three hours preparing lesson.

It became more and more difficult to get a drink in the bar, It was harder and harder to find a waiter in the restaurant. Later, Mrs.’ White complained to the manager about the prices in the hotel. The hotel was not cheap, and Mrs. White felt very angry. She knew one or two things about hotels. Usually, The more expensive the hotel, the better the service. But this was not true in this hotel! They wanted to leave and the sooner the better.

NOTE:

1) get 是“得到”的意思。

2）prices 是指多种东西的价格。

3）hotels 是指一般意义上的旅馆。

4）But this was not true in this hotel! 意思是“但这家旅馆并非如此”。

5）the sooner the better. 意思是“走得越早越好”。

2. Do the exercise 1 on page 214.

3. Do exercise 2, 3, 4 from page215 to 216.

4. Explain the letter.

The reference answer to this exercise:

Dear Mr. White,

We are sorry to have let you have such a bad holiday.

We received other complaints too and we agree that the service in our hotel is becoming worse and worse. We don’t agree about the food and its price. Our hotel is less expensive than others in the same town.

We hope to make our hotel become better and better in the future.

Yours faithfully,

总结：这单元的学习重点是：“形容词比较级和最高级的构成”、“ 副词比较级和最高级的构成”、“ 比较级和最高级使用中注意的几个问题”。

作业：在课本上做exercise1 on page 219.