Unit 8

Text A

Language Points

New Words

incredible   adj. difficult to believe; wonderful, unbelievably good 难以置信的; 奇妙的，好得令人不相信的

The naughty boy’s excuse for being late for class was incredible.

Mary has an incredible house by the lakeside, which was an object of envy to all her friends.

airplane    n. aircraft with wings and more than one engines 飞机

Have you ever traveled by airplane?

An airplane is much faster than any means of transportation on land.

scenic   adj. having or showing beautiful natural scenery 景色优美的

The scenic spot in the remote area of that province is a tourist attraction.

There is a scenic road along the coast.

soothing   adj. making someone calm, comfort or less painful 使人镇定的，安慰的；使（痛苦、疼痛）变轻的

The boy cut his finger with a knife and cried bitterly, but his mother’s soothing words made him feel better.

Soothing background music was played in the five-star restaurant to please the dinners.

massage    n. rubbing and pressing the body with hands to relieve or prevent stiffness or pain in muscles, joints, etc. 按摩，推拿

The doctor recommended massage for my back pain.

A woman gave me a relaxing massage on the beach.

wow    interj. used to express astonishment or admiration（用以表示惊奇或钦佩）哇

Wow! This is really a magnificent view.

Wow! The ball goes into the goal.

relaxing    adj. （of climate）making people feel lacking in energy or sluggish（指气候）使人无精打采的，使人懒洋洋的

Tony would take a long, relaxing hot bath after playing football.

The massage was so relaxing that I fell asleep.

asleep    adj. not awake, sleeping 睡着，睡熟

A newly born baby is asleep most of the day.

The boys went out of the house secretly at midnight when their parents were sound asleep.

beverage   n. any type of drink except water（除水以外的）饮料

Cooling beverages are popular in hot summer.

Alcoholic beverages are forbidden in Arab countries. 

coconut   n. large, hard-shelled seed of the coconut palm 椰子

Coconut milk is natural drink.

Coconut trees grow in the south coast of China.

parasailing   n. sail in the air with the help of ship or vehicle（由汽船，汽车等牵引在空中滑翔的）帆伞运动

Not everyone dares to go in for the sport of parasailing because it seems dangerous to fly high in the sky.

Parasailing is an exciting sport for brave young people who enjoy adventures.

scary   adj. causing fear or alarm 引起恐慌的

The presence of an UFO above the town was scary to its residents.

The film Primal Fear I saw last evening is the scariest horror film I ever saw.

 

Phrases and Expressions

on the beach   on a sore of an ocean, sea or lake or the bank of a river covered by sand, smooth stones, or larger pieces of rock 在海滩上

You can enjoy the warm sunshine and admire the beautiful girls on the beach.

I like the kind of vacation where I can sit on the beach for a week.

fall asleep   go to sleep 入睡

If you couldn’t fall asleep at night, you have to take sleeping pills.

The boy was so exhausted after his trip to the mountainous area that he fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

pull up   remove sth. from its original place, stop 拔起；停下；阻止

A bus pulled up at the station and out of which came an elderly gentleman.

A tornado is powerful enough to pull up big trees.

 

Text B

Language Points

New Words

friendly    adj. behaving in a kind and pleasant way 和蔼可亲的，友好的

Their new teacher turned out to be a friendly young man.

The children here are quite friendly with one another.

radical    adj. thorough or complete; drastic 彻底的，完全的，激烈的

The teacher persuaded his students not to take radical measures since it was not helpful in solving the problem.

Mary is radical in her demands.

awesome   adj. expressing or causing feeling of respect mixed with fear and wonder 使人敬畏的

There were awesome expressions on the children’s faces after they heard the old soldier’s story about the Long March.

The force of the nature is awesome.

extreme   adj. greatest possible 极度的

Will the clothing give protection against extreme cold in the winter?

Use extreme caution when driving on the wet road on a rainy day.

skydiving   n. sport of jumping from an aircraft and falling as long as one safely can before opening one’s parachute 跳伞运动

Skydiving is Pat’s favorite sport.

Skydiving is a dangerous sport which needs skill and courage.

glide   v. move along smoothly and continuously 滑行，滑动，滑翔

So graceful was the ballerina on the stage that she just seemed to glide.

Silently the boat glided past.

sightseeing   n. visiting the sights of a place as a tourist 观光，游览

Sightseeing is one of the main industries in Thailand.

In summer vacation, many students go sightseeing with their parents or classmates.

inn   n. a small hotel or place where one can stay and/or drink alcohol, eat meals etc. 小旅馆，客栈

The old man dreamed of keeping an inn at the foot of the mountain after his retirement.

We stayed at a small inn for the night.

spa n. a usu. fashionable place with a spring of mineral water where people come for cures of various diseases 矿泉（温泉）浴场；矿泉（温泉）治疗地

A spa is a good place to relax oneself.

There are some spas near the volcano.

stationary   adj. standing still, not moving, for staying in one place 静止的，不动的；固定于一处的

A stationary object is the easiest to aim at.

The storm system remained almost stationary just south of the coast.

healthful   adj. likely to produce good health 有益健康的

The local government launched a campaign to promote physical exercise and healthful living.

The healthful air at the seaside helped the old woman recover from her illness.

 

Phrases and Expressions

work out   do physical exercises as a way of staying in shape 作大运动量的锻炼

After work, Tony often works out in the local gym to lose weight.

As an actress, Barbara has to work out regularly to stay in shape.

 

Text C

Language Points

New Words

charming   adj. delightful, attractive 迷人的

Hans is such a charming young man that everyone likes him.

There are many charming little restaurants along the river.

locate   v. situate; lie 使坐落于

The city library is located within easy reach of every part of the city.

The company wants to locate the factory on land near the railroad tracks.

lotus   n. water-lily, esp. Egyptian and Asian kinds 莲；荷

The lotuses are in full blossom in the pond.

Lotus is white or pink flower found especially in Asia.

bloom    v. be in flower; bear flowers 开花

These plants bloom in spring.

The roses in the garden are blooming under the gardener’s tender care.

magical   adj. charming, enchanting 迷人的，有魅力的

It is said that the stick of the witch has magical power.

The party was a great success. It was a truly magical evening.

decorate   v. provide sth. with ornamental, esp. for a special occasion 装饰；装修

Usually a Christmas tree is decorated with colored lights and small ornaments.

Before the New Year’s Day, our classroom was decorated with balloons.

jade   n. hard, usu. green stone, carved into ornaments 碧玉，翡翠

Alice has a jade necklace which was passed on to her by her grandmother.

Lucy’s father bought her a jade bracelet as a wedding gift.

fringe   v. decorate with border or edging 在…上装以缘饰；成为…的边缘

There are houses with red roofs and white walls fringing the road on either side.

A line of trees fringed the pool.

reed   n. tall, firm stem with jointed grasses growing in or near water 芦苇

Reed leaves are used to make zhongzi, a traditional Chinese food in the Dragon Boat Festival.

A place where a lot of reeds grow is called a reed bed.

fresh   adj. (of water) not salty 不咸的，淡的

Is Boyang Lake the biggest fresh water lake in China?

I prefer fresh water fish to sea fish.

reserve    n. place or area reserved for some special use or purpose 保留地

There are many wild life reserves in that area.

The reserves for the Indians are far from good.

species   n. group of animals or plants within a genus differing only in minor details from the others and able to breed each other but not with other groups 物种；种

The Origin of Species was written by Darwin.

Various animal species make this world, so we should keep the balance of nature.

internationally  adv. having to do with more than one nation 国际性地；国际间地

Langlang is an internationally known pianist.

How can we make the company internationally competitive?

habitat    n. (of plants, animals) natural place of growth 栖息地

The rare bird is in danger of losing its natural habitat.

The earth is a habitat not only for the human being but also for all creatures.

migratory    adj. (of birds and fishes) having the habit of coming and going with the seasons 迁移的

In late autumn, the migratory birds fly to the south to avoid the severe winter.

How many migratory animals do you know?

dilemma   n. situation in which one has to choose between two things 困境，进退两难

We are facing an embarrassing dilemma: should we go or stay?

Thee teachers’ disagreement on the day of departure put us in a dilemma.

newly   adv. recently 最近

Tom invested all his money on a newly built house in the suburb.

When Barbara went into the newly decorated room, she could hardly believe her eyes.

distinctive   adj. characteristic or typical 有特色的，与众不同的

Good visuals and diagrams are the magazine’s most distinctive feature.

The coffee they sell at the café is smooth and rich, with a distinctive flavor.

renowned   adj. famous or well-known 著名的

The program includes a performance by the world-renowned Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

As a renowned artist, Picasso never ceased to explore new ways to express what he saw in this world.

imperial   adj. of or relating to an empire 帝国的，皇家的

The entrance examinations differ from the imperial examinations in ancient China in many ways.

The mysterious woman claimed that she belonged to an imperial household.

tribute    n. a gift, payment, declaration, or other acknowledgment of gratitude, respect, or admiration 贡金；贡物

The owner of the land sent jewelries as tribute to the king to avoid being killed.

The TV station showed the program as a tribute to the actors.

emit   v. give or send out 散发；发出

The fountain at the center of the square emits water now and then.

It is said that mobile phones emit radiation.

fragrant  adj. sweet-smelling 香的，芬芳的

The flowers in blossom smell fragrant.

Alice planted many fragrant herbs and flowers in the back yard.

odor  n. (pleasant or unpleasant) smell 气味

The rooms give off the delicious odor of freshly-made coffee in the afternoon.

Can you smell the unpleasant odor of over-ripe cheese?

large-scale   adj. of great number, size or extent 大规模地

The government’s indifference to social inequality resulted in a large-scale movement.

Such large-scale chicken-raising demands capital for building and machinery and extensive use of energy resources for automation.

dragon   n. mythical usu. winged monster like a reptile, able to breathe fire 龙

The dragon is believed to be a symbol of power and authority in the Chinese culture.

The Chinese are thought to be the offspring of the dragon.

festival   n. day or period of celebration 节日；喜庆日

Christmas is one of the main festivals in the Christian Calendar.

In 1920, Anoka started a Halloween festival, believed to be the first ever in the United States.

sporting   adj. concerned or interested in sport 体育运动的；爱好体育运动的

I tried every department store, toy store and sporting goods store, and could find nothing in a kid's size.

The experience of running the world's most prestigious sporting event is being shared here in Beijing --the host of the next Games in 2008.

rare   adj. not often happening or seen, etc; unusual 稀有的，罕见的；不同寻常的

It is extremely rare for Barry to lose temper.

This is one of the rarest plants on the earth, so we should protect it.

fascinating   adj. having strong charm or attraction 迷人的

The singer has a fascinating voice.

Thailand is a fascinating place, and I would like to visit there again next year.

 

Phrases and Expressions

be home to   be the place where one was born or habitually lives 是…的家园

The earth is home to all the living creatures.

The dormitories are home to college students.

in a dilemma   be in a situation in which one has to choose between two things 进退两难；进退维谷

Wendy was in a dilemma whether to marry Paul, who was poor, or Charles, who was ugly.

The committee members have different ideas about how to carry on the plan, and this left me in a dilemma.

used to   (used for expressing a former fact or state) do regularly or habitually 曾经；过去常常

I used to be a member of the school basketball team.

We used to take a walk along the river every evening after supper.

stick up    be in an upright position 竖起

The tree branches were sticking up out of the water.

You have got some hair sticking up on end at the back.