ort
Make exertions to do e.g. He made exertions to walk. V. exert: to put to use or effect; put forth/To bring to bear; exercise: e.g. I exerted all my strengths to move the box. For college students to do a part-time job will exert a profound influence on their personality and life.
Convince: to persuade, to make believe
Convince somebody to do something Convince somebody that Convince somebody of something e.g. adj. convincing: believable a convincing story
"who, through works rich in nuance - now clearsightedly realistic, now evocatively ambiguous has formed an Arabian narrative art that applies to all mankind. "
to make … (out) of sb/sth: to make sb. /sth, become …
The army made a man of him. Hardships help make a man (out) of a boy. I don’t think you can make a football star (out) of Johnny.
现代大学英语第一册
杨立民
Unit 1
Half a Day
by Naguib Mahfous
Background Information
Naguib Mahfous 纳吉布•马福兹 纳吉布 马福兹
Naguib Mahfous is the first Arabian language author awarded the Nobel Prize in literature(1988). He has been described as the “Dickens”(迪更斯 1812-1870， 英国著名现 实主义小说家)of Cairo Cafés and the “Balzac” (巴尔扎克，1799-1850，法国著名小说 家)of Egypt.
Infinitive phrase of result, denoting the result of the main verb “woke up” E.g. They lifted a rock only to drop it on their own feet. They went back home only to find their house was broken into. cf. He picked up a stone to hit the attacking snake.
bring about: to make sth. happen
Science has brought about many changes in our lives. The war brought about great human sufferings.
Rivalry: competing
There is great rivalry between the two sisters. Rival n. Competitor Often used to modify another noun: e.g. rival companies; rival products; rival teams; rival schools. Rival v. To attempt to equal or surpass/to be the equal of; match: e.g. Ships can't rival planes for speed. No one could rival him in this respect.
Observant: careful to observe
Be observant of the traffic rules Be observant to avoid danger V. observe observe the rules observe a holiday
Perseverance: determination, persistence
a variety of: The shopping-center sells a variety of goods. At school we learn a variety of things Vary v. differ e.g. Students vary in height. Their salaries vary. Various adj. of several different kind
It is no good/use doing sth There is no good to be had in doing ..
Meaning: it is not useful to do sth. e.g. It is no good crying over spilt milk. It is no use talking to him.
A matter of sth. / of doing sth.
a situation that involves sth. or depends on sth. E.g. Learning is a matter of seeing much, suffering much and studying much. Some people like pop music while others prefer serious music. It’s a matter of taste.
come into view: to begin to be seen
As soon as we turned the corner, the palace came into view. = come into sight Sth is in sight (view).
woke up to go on with …
New Words and Expression
Beneficial: Producing or promoting a favorable result; advantageous.
Beneficial birds / insects Beneficial to Sunshine is beneficial to plants. A temperate climate is beneficial to the health.
Words and Expressions from Text
A street lined with gardens
line: to form a bordering line along e.g. Small stalls lined the alley. People lined the streets to see the famous man go past.
Warming-up questions
What is the text mainly about? Do you remember your first day of school? Were you scared? Happy? Excited? Or what? What were your feelings the first day you were here? Did you feel you were a stranger here? Did you find it hard to adjust to college life? At the end of the text, “I” turned out to be an old man. How do you understand this? How do you understand the title “Half a Day”? Is there any symbolic meaning?
Perseverance combined with energy is necessary to success in life. V. persevere (in, at , with): to persist in e.g. persevere in an effort persevere in one's studies adj. persevering坚忍的, 不屈不挠的
Cling: to hold closely; to refuse to let go
He clung to the rope to keep from falling. Figurative meaning: cling to a purpose / outdated customs / the last hope
Sort: to arrange according to class, kind, or size; classify
sort out the wheat from the chaff I sorted the books into big ones and small ones. She tried to sort out her problems.
He hesitated before he answered because he didn't know what to say. We do not hesitate to give our lives for our country, let alone suffer some hardships. I hesitate to ask you, but will you lend me your car for a few days? She hesitated over the choice between the two blouses for her daughter.