Week 60

DAY291

L58-5: A spot of bother

Then a police inspector arrived with a constable and she told them of her discovery of the ransacked flat. The inspector began to look for fingerprints, while the constable checked that the front door locks had not been forced, thereby proving that the burglars had either used skeleton keys or entered over the balcony. There was no trace of fingerprints, but the inspector found a dirty red bundle that contained jewellery which the old lady said was not hers.

知识点：

either…or…意为"或者……或者……;不是……就是…… 表示两者之一，连接句子中两个并列的成分

neither...nor...表示"既不……也不……"其含义是否定的，可连接任意两个并列的成份(两个短语均采用就近原则)

单词：

inspector/ɪn'spektə/

n. 检查员；巡视员

• a police officer of middle rank

constable/'kɑnstəbl/

n. 治安官，巡警；警察

• 警察下属 a british police officer of the lower rank

ransack /'rænsæk/

vt. 洗劫，掠夺；遍寻

to searc a place，making it untidy and causing damage，usually because you are looking for sth

fingerprint /'fɪŋgəprɪnt/

n. 指纹；手印vt. 采指纹

skeleton/'skelɪt(ə)n/

n. 骨架，骨骼；纲要；骨瘦如柴的人adj. 骨骼的；骨瘦如柴的；概略的 skeleton keys万能钥匙

balcony /'bælkənɪ/

n. 阳台；包厢；戏院楼厅

bundle/'bʌnd(ə)l/

n. 束；捆vt. 捆vi. 匆忙离开

词组：

arrive with和......一起过来

tell sb of sth 向sb 讲述某事，书面语里更文雅

thereby proving that...由此可以证明......

enter over the balcony翻越阳台

begin to 开始做

look for 寻找

trace of……的踪迹

句式：

thereby doing sth. 因此，由此

固定搭配，结果状语，推荐写作用=thus doing

……while…..连接两个句子，表示同时在发生的两件事

长难句、语法：

1.the constable checked that the front door locks had not been forced

门没有被撬开发生在警察检查之前，用过去进行时。

2.最后一句包含两个从句，有that和which两个引导词防止重复，均修饰red bundle

DAY292

L58-6: A spot of bother

So their entry into this flat was apparently not the burglars' first job that day and they must have been disturbed. The inspector then asked the old lady to try to check what was missing by the next day and advised her not to stay alone in the flat for a few nights. The old lady thought he was a fussy creature, but since the porter agreed with him, she rang up her daughter and asked for her help in what she described as a little spot of bother.

知识点：

本段用到很多不定式结构，如：ask/advise sb. to do sth.

单词：

job

n. (infml.) a crime, esp. stealing 作案，罪行（尤其指偷东西）

an inside job 内鬼作案

disturb英 /dɪˈstɜ:b/ 美 /dɪˈstɜrb/

If you disturb someone, you interrupt what they are doing and upset them.

eg. The pictures were sensationalist and could seriously disturb younger readers.

这些图片大肆渲染，会让一些比较年轻的读者们惶恐不安。

fussy /'fʌsi/

adj 对小事神经过敏的，小题大做的

nervously active or excited about small things

2.挑剔的 giving too much close attention to detail，etc therefore difficult to please

fussy eaters

creature

(esp. following an adj. ) a person, considered in a particular way

（尤其用于形容词 后）有某种特点的人，特点好坏都可，常译为“家伙，伙计”

a fussy / strange / pathetic … creature

词组：

ask sb. to do sth

叫某人做某事

advise sb.(not ) to do sth.

建议某人（不要）做某事

ask for

请求，要求

ask for food/ask for advise

ring sb. up /ring up sb 给某人打电话

=give sb. a call= give sb. a ring

长难句、语法：

The old lady thought he was a fussy creature, but since the porter agreed with him, she rang up her daughter and asked for her help in what she described as a little spot of bother.

• but since the porter agreed with him 是插入语，he was a fussy creature是宾语从句，前面省略了that。in what she described as a little spot of bother作方式状语。

• help in sth. 在……方面帮助

摘要写作：

It was not the burglars' first time to enter the old lady's house. But they were disturbed by the police and the old lady, so they ran away. But the inspector was afraid of their coming back and advised the old lady not to stay home alone, the old lady phoned her daughter and asked for help and described it as a little spot of bother.

DAY293

L59-1: Collecting

People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doing so. Indeed they can have a delightful surprise when they find something useful which they did not know they owned. Those who never have to move house become indiscriminate collectors of what can only be described as clutter. They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics for years, in the belief that they may one day need just those very things.

知识点：

单词：

amass /ə'mæ s/

vt. 积聚

• accumulate vt&vi

  accumulate knowledge / possessions

  用法比amass更多点，可以是主语增多，也可以是宾语增多

• collect / gather

  vt，vi 东西多；或人群聚集，接近

• pile up / build up

  慢慢变多 vt&vi

indiscriminate /ɪndɪs'krɪmɪnət/

adj. 不加选择的

• be indiscriminate in …

• discriminate 歧视

  +against …

• discrimination 分辨力，辨别力，歧视

clutter

n. 一堆杂物

词组：

a delightful surprise 惊喜交加的感觉

move house BrE 搬家

those very things，就是那些东西，very在这里起强调作用，可译作“正是那个（些）”，“正是所要的”。

句式：

in the belief that……

这个介词短语在句子中作谓语动词 leave的状语。

DAY294

L59-2: Collecting

As they grow old, people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons, lack of physical and mental energy, both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away, and sentiment. Things owned for a long time are full of associations with the past, perhaps with relatives who are dead, and so they gradually acquire a value beyond their true worth.Some things are collected deliberately in the home in an attempt to avoid waste.

知识点：

单词：

accumulate v. 英音 /ə'kjuːmjʊleɪt/ 美音 /ə'kjumjəlet/ 堆积，积累

1.vt.to gradually get more and more money, possessions, knowledge etc over a period of timeeg.It is unjust that a privileged few should continue to accumulate wealth.

2.vi.to gradually increase in numbers or amount until there is a large quantity in one placeeg.Fat tends to accumulate around the hips and thighs.

essential 英音 /ɪ'senʃ(ə)l/ 美音 /ɪ'sɛnʃl/

adj.

1.extremely important and necessary 必不可少的, 绝对必要的; 非常重要的

eg.It is essential that our pilots be given the best possible training.

2.the essential part, quality, or feature of something is the most basic one 本质的, 实质的, 基本的

eg.The essential point of relay racing is that it is a team effort.

n.

1.something that is necessary to do something or in a particular situation 必需品

eg.She packed a few essentials.

2.the basic and most important information or facts about a particular subject 要素, 要点

eg.the essentials of English grammar

deliberately adv.英音 /dɪˈlɪbərɪtlɪ/ 美音 /dɪ'lɪbərətli/

1.done in a way that is intended or planned 故意地,蓄意地

eg.He deliberately upset her.

2.done or said in a slow careful way 从容不迫地,不慌不忙地

eg.He shook his head slowly and deliberately.

sentiment

与emotion不同，常贬义； 指怀旧等情感，多愁善感，感情用事（尤与reason理智相对）

词组：

beyond their true worth 超过它们的实际价值

句式：

full of associations with the past

… full of connections with the past , …

长难句、语法：

As they grow old, people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons, lack of physical and mental energy, both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away, and sentiment.

• lack of physical and mental energy和sentiment 是并列结构，作two other reasons的同位语。但是被非限定性定语从句both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away分割。

DAY295

L59-3: Collecting

Among these I would list string and brown paper, kept by thrifty people when a parcel has been opened, to save buying these two requisites. Collecting small items can easily become a mania. I know someone who always cuts sketches out from newspapers of model clothes that she would like to buy if she had the money. As she is not rich, the chances that she will ever be able to afford such purchases are remote; but she is never sufficiently strong-minded to be able to stop the practice. It is a harmless habit, but it litters up her desk to such an extent that every time she opens it, loose bits of paper fall out in every direction.

知识点：

单词：

list

verb 文中为动词

to make a list, or to include something in a list

将…列成单子；把…列入名单

eg. I've listed some useful reading material on the handout.

我在发给大家的讲义上列出了一些有用的阅读材料。

requisite /'rekwɪzɪt/

formal : n. countable usually plural

an important necessary thing 必需品；必要条件

eg. A good book is a requisite for long journeys.

一本好书是长途旅行中必备之物。

eg. Self-esteem, self-judgment and self-will are said to be the three requisites of independence.

自尊、自量和坚持自我据说是自立的三个必备条件。

mania /'meɪniə/

n. countable or uncountable

MENTAL ILLNESS 心理疾病

a state in which someone directs all their attention to one particular thing

痴迷；…狂；…癖=craze

eg. Van Gogh suffered from acute persecution mania.

梵谷患有严重的被害妄想症。

eg. She's always cleaning - it's like a mania with her.

她总是不停在清扫——好像有洁癖。

remote UK /rɪ'məʊt/ US /-'moʊt/

adj. 远的；=slight 绝少的；微小的；微乎其微的

eg. a remote possibility

微乎其微的可能性

eg. The chances of a visit by Martians to the Earth are remote.

火星人访问地球的可能性微乎其微。

词组：

save sb. sth./doing sth.

strong-minded

1.ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词(尤指女性)意志坚强的，果断的，有主见的

If you describe someone, especially a woman, as strong-minded, you approve of them because they have their own firm attitudes and opinions, and are not easily influenced by other people.

eg. She is a strong-minded, independent woman.

她是一个独立、有主见的女人。

to such an extent that=so much that

达到这样一种程度

eg. The car was damaged to such an extent that it would be useless to repair it.

eg. Sales have fallen to such an extent that we will have to close some of our shops.

model clothes 时装

litter (up) …塞（满）

• up满

in every direction=in all directions

向四面八方

句式：

the chances …are remote 机会渺茫

还可说The chances …are rare，等于It's unlikely…。

=there is little chance of …

长难句、语法：

As she is not rich, the chances that she will ever be able to afford such purchases are remote; but she is never sufficiently strong-minded to be able to stop the practice.

• 动词不定式to be able to stop the practice作结果状语，修饰sufficiently strong-minded； the practice 在这里指cut out sketches of model clothes这一做法，意即“她从来就没有足够的坚强意志停止这种做法”。此为夸张说法，以强调其着迷的程度。