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21世纪大学英语读写基础教程 Unit4

时间:2006-02-21 16:00来源:互联网 提供网友:yxdzgd5   字体: [ ]
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 Unit 4

Text A

One day, a man who seemed to own everything he could want suddenly felt a deep, inexplicable1 sadness. What's wrong with him? Did he finally regain2 his happiness? Here is the story...

The Happiest Man in the World

Adapted by Amy Friedman

Once upon a time there lived a man named Henry who had both land and money. He loved his wife and their strong and healthy children. In short, Henry had everything a man could want. At least that's the way it seemed to everyone who knew him.
But one morning Henry awoke from a deep sleep beneath a warm comforter, his eyes filled with tears. His heart felt heavy. "I'm unhappy," he said. For a moment he was frightened by such a feeling, but then he jumped out of bed, packed a picnic lunch and set off for a walk in the woods. He was determined3 to feel happy again.
Henry hiked for hours, looking at the bright blue sky, enjoying the crisp autumn day. Everyone he passed greeted him. His neighbor's dog barked hello. Another neighbor, meeting him as he returned home, handed him a freshly baked pumpkin4 pie, which he took home for supper.
Henry had always loved pumpkin pie, but even the pie, and his children's happy voices and the blaze of the fire in the hearth5, did not lift his spirits. He fell asleep feeling unhappier than he had ever before felt in all his life.
When he woke the next morning, he was even sadder. "I must fix this," he said, and set off for the city, where he thought he would find a hundred ways to cheer himself. He purchased silver bracelets7 for his wife and bags of candy for his children. He bought himself a pair of the softest slippers9 he could find. He dined in an elegant restaurant, and ate his favorite foods. And still that night he felt a deep sadness.
Weeks passed in this way. The ripe pumpkins10 in the field that had once brought him joy did nothing to raise his spirits. Neither did the moonlit nights, the honking12 geese, the flowing streams, the fields of hay, the chatter13 of the children, the feel of his soft new slippers. Henry sipped15 hot chocolate. He ate ripe apples. He bathed in warm baths and listened to beautiful music. But nothing helped.
At last, at his wit's end, Henry went to see a wise man, and there he begged with a voice filled with misery16 and longing17. "Sir, please tell me what I can do to find a way to lift my heavy heart. I must be cured of this terrible illness, which seems to have come from nowhere. I must find happiness."
"That which is clear to some people is sometimes hidden from others," the wise man said. "You must find the happiest man in the world. When you find him, ask him to trade his shirt for yours. Happiness will be yours once again."
Henry set off at once to find the happiest man in the world. One after another he came upon men who told him they were happy. Then Henry asked them one question: "Would you be happier if I gave you all my money?"
"Yes," each man answered.
"Then you are not the happiest man in the world," Henry said, and he went on searching.
One day as he walked through the forest, he heard someone in the distance singing the happiest song he had ever heard. He followed the sound and soon came to a woodcutter chopping logs.
"Excuse me. My name is Henry, and I am looking for the happiest man in the world," he said.
"You've come to the right man," the woodcutter said. "I'm happy as can be."
"Ah, then," Henry said, "would you like me to give you all my money?"
The woodcutter laughed. "I have no need for your money. Look at all I have," and he beckoned19 Henry to look at the forest—at the red and golden leaves, at the squirrels scurrying21 across the forest floor, at the birds perched overhead, at the deer grazing nearby.
"At last!" Henry cried. "I have been searching for you for a long time now. The wise man told me that if I exchanged shirts with the happiest man in the world, I would be cured of my illness. You see, I'm unhappy. Please, will you exchange your shirt for mine?"
The happiest man in the world looked closely at Henry, and then he began to laugh and laugh. He laughed until the forest echoed with his laughter.
When at last he quieted himself, Henry asked him, "How can you laugh at such a serious request? You see my shirt. It's made of the finest cotton, and it will be yours. All I need is to wear yours."
And then the woodcutter unbuttoned his tattered23 coat, and Henry saw that the happiest man in the world wasn't wearing a shirt.
"I own no shirts," the woodcutter said. "But now you know that you have the strength to seek all that you think you should have."
Henry smiled, for now he understood why the wise man had sent him on this journey. He felt his heart became light once more.
(841 words)

New Words

beneath
prep.in or to a lower position than 在…的下面

comforter
n. (美)盖被

unhappy
a. 不愉快的,不幸福的

picnic
n. 郊游野餐;户外用餐;(个人自带食品的)聚餐

determine
v. (cause to) make a decision (使)下决心

* hike
v. take a long walk in the country (在乡间)作徒步旅行;远足

* crisp
a. 1. (of the air, weather, etc.) cold, dry and fresh (空气、气候等)干而冷的;清爽的;清新的
2. hard and dry; easily broken 干而硬的;脆的;易碎的

bark
vi. (at) make the short, sharp cry that a dog and some other animals make (狗等动物)吠,叫

* pumpkin
n. 南瓜

pie
n. 馅饼(一种西式点心)

* blaze
n. 1. (a burst of) a bright flame 火焰;烈火
2. a bright show of lights, colours, etc. 光辉;灿烂
vi. burn brightly and strongly 熊熊燃烧

hearth
n. 壁炉炉床;壁炉边(被认为是家庭生活的中心)

purchase
vt. (fml) buy [正式]购买
n. 1. (fml) the act of buying [正式]购买
2. a thing that has been bought 购买之物

bracelet6
n. 手镯;臂镯

candy
n. (esp. AmE) a sweet, sweets, or (a piece of) chocolate (尤美)糖果

slipper8
n. a type of soft comfortable shoe for wearing inside the house 室内便鞋,拖鞋

* dine
vi. (fml) eat dinner [正式]用膳;进餐

elegant
a. beautiful and graceful24 高雅的,优美的

sadness
n. 悲伤

moonlit
a. lighted by the moon 有月光的,月明的

honk11
v. (雁)叫;按汽车喇叭

flow
v. (of liquid) move continuously and easily (液体)流动,流淌

stream
n. 1. a natural flow of water smaller than a river 小河,小溪
2. (of) a continuous flow of things or people 一连串,川流不息

hay
n. long grass that has been cut and dried, esp. used as animal food (作牲畜饲料用的)干草

chatter
n. rapid unimportant conversation 喋喋不休,饶舌
vi. talk quickly, continuously, and for a long time, usu. about sth. unimportant 喋喋不休,饶舌

* sip14
v. drink only a little at a time 小口地喝,啜饮
n. a very small amount of a drink 一小口

chocolate
n. 巧克力;巧克力饮料

wit
n. 1. power of thought 才智,才能
2. the ability to use words in a clever and humorous way 风趣;幽默

* misery
n. great unhappiness or great pain (of body or mind) (身心的)痛苦,不幸

longing
n. (for)a strong feeling of wanting sth. 渴望

nowhere
ad. 什么地方都不,无处

woodcutter
n. a man whose job is to cut down trees in a forest 伐木者,樵夫

chop
v. cut by repeatedly hitting with an axe25 or other sharp instrument 砍,劈

log
n. a thick piece of wood cut from a tree 原木,圆材,干材

beckon18
v. call or signal with a movement of the head, head, etc. (用头或手的动作)示意,召唤

squirrel
n. 松鼠

scurry20
vi. hurry; move quickly, esp. with small short steps (尤指用小步)急跑,急赶

perch22
vi. (of a bird)come to rest, esp. on a thin, raised object such as a branch (鸟)飞落,暂栖

overhead
a. & ad.(located or passing) above one's head 在头顶上(的),在空中(的)

deer
n. 鹿

* graze
vi. feed on growing grass, as cattle, sheep, etc. (牛、羊等)啃食牧草

nearby
a. & ad. near; close by (在)附近(的)

exchange
v. (for, with) give sb. sth. and receive sth. of the same kind in return 交换

echo
vi. (with) (of a place) be filled with echoes 发出回声,产生回响
n. a sound sent back or repeated from a surface such as a wall 回声,声音

laughter
n. an act or sound of laughing 笑,笑声

request
n. an act of asking for sth 要求,请求
vt. ask (for) 要求,请求

unbutton
v. 解开(纽扣)

tattered
a. (esp. of clothes) old and torn (尤指衣服)破旧的,破烂的

Phrases and Expressions

in short
briefly stated; in a few words 总而言之

at least
至少

for a moment
片刻,一会儿

set off
start going 出发, 动身

at last
终于

at one's wit's end
(infml) completely at a loss or in despair [非正式]智穷计尽;全然不知所措

from nowhere
从不知道的地方

once again
再一次

one after another
one by one; repeatedly or continuously 一个接一个地;接连地

come upon
meet, find, or discover by chance (偶然)遇见,发现

go on
continue without stopping or without change 继续

once more
再一次

Proper Names

Amy Friedman
艾米·弗里德门(人名)

Henry
亨利(男子名)


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 inexplicable tbCzf     
adj.无法解释的,难理解的
参考例句:
  • It is now inexplicable how that development was misinterpreted.当时对这一事态发展的错误理解究竟是怎么产生的,现在已经无法说清楚了。
  • There are many things which are inexplicable by science.有很多事科学还无法解释。
2 regain YkYzPd     
vt.重新获得,收复,恢复
参考例句:
  • He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
  • The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。
3 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
4 pumpkin NtKy8     
n.南瓜
参考例句:
  • They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
  • It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你!
5 hearth n5by9     
n.壁炉炉床,壁炉地面
参考例句:
  • She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来,在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。
  • She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里,打开电灯。
6 bracelet nWdzD     
n.手镯,臂镯
参考例句:
  • The jeweler charges lots of money to set diamonds in a bracelet.珠宝匠要很多钱才肯把钻石镶在手镯上。
  • She left her gold bracelet as a pledge.她留下她的金手镯作抵押品。
7 bracelets 58df124ddcdc646ef29c1c5054d8043d     
n.手镯,臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The lamplight struck a gleam from her bracelets. 她的手镯在灯光的照射下闪闪发亮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • On display are earrings, necklaces and bracelets made from jade, amber and amethyst. 展出的有用玉石、琥珀和紫水晶做的耳环、项链和手镯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 slipper px9w0     
n.拖鞋
参考例句:
  • I rescued the remains of my slipper from the dog.我从那狗的口中夺回了我拖鞋的残留部分。
  • The puppy chewed a hole in the slipper.小狗在拖鞋上啃了一个洞。
9 slippers oiPzHV     
n. 拖鞋
参考例句:
  • a pair of slippers 一双拖鞋
  • He kicked his slippers off and dropped on to the bed. 他踢掉了拖鞋,倒在床上。
10 pumpkins 09a64387fb624e33eb24dc6c908c2681     
n.南瓜( pumpkin的名词复数 );南瓜的果肉,南瓜囊
参考例句:
  • I like white gourds, but not pumpkins. 我喜欢吃冬瓜,但不喜欢吃南瓜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put lights inside. 然后在南瓜上刻出一张脸,并把瓜挖空。 来自英语晨读30分(高三)
11 honk TdizI     
n.雁叫声,汽车喇叭声
参考例句:
  • Don't honk the horn indiscriminately.不要乱鸣喇叭!
  • While passing another vehicle,you must honk your horn.通过另一部车时必须鸣按喇叭。
12 honking 69e32168087f0fd692f761e62a361acf     
v.(使)发出雁叫似的声音,鸣(喇叭),按(喇叭)( honk的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Cars zoomed helter-skelter, honking belligerently. 大街上来往车辆穿梭不停,喇叭声刺耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Flocks of honking geese flew past. 雁群嗷嗷地飞过。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
13 chatter BUfyN     
vi./n.喋喋不休;短促尖叫;(牙齿)打战
参考例句:
  • Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
  • I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。
14 sip Oxawv     
v.小口地喝,抿,呷;n.一小口的量
参考例句:
  • She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。
  • Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。
15 sipped 22d1585d494ccee63c7bff47191289f6     
v.小口喝,呷,抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He sipped his coffee pleasurably. 他怡然地品味着咖啡。
  • I sipped the hot chocolate she had made. 我小口喝着她调制的巧克力热饮。 来自辞典例句
16 misery G10yi     
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦
参考例句:
  • Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
  • He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。
17 longing 98bzd     
n.(for)渴望
参考例句:
  • Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
  • His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。
18 beckon CdTyi     
v.(以点头或打手势)向...示意,召唤
参考例句:
  • She crooked her finger to beckon him.她勾勾手指向他示意。
  • The wave for Hawaii beckon surfers from all around the world.夏威夷的海浪吸引着世界各地的冲浪者前来。
19 beckoned b70f83e57673dfe30be1c577dd8520bc     
v.(用头或手的动作)示意,召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He beckoned to the waiter to bring the bill. 他招手示意服务生把账单送过来。
  • The seated figure in the corner beckoned me over. 那个坐在角落里的人向我招手让我过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
20 scurry kDkz1     
vi.急匆匆地走;使急赶;催促;n.快步急跑,疾走;仓皇奔跑声;骤雨,骤雪;短距离赛马
参考例句:
  • I jumped on the sofa after I saw a mouse scurry by.看到一只老鼠匆匆路过,我从沙发上跳了起来。
  • There was a great scurry for bargains.大家急忙着去抢购特价品。
21 scurrying 294847ddc818208bf7d590895cd0b7c9     
v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • We could hear the mice scurrying about in the walls. 我们能听见老鼠在墙里乱跑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • We were scurrying about until the last minute before the party. 聚会开始前我们一直不停地忙忙碌碌。 来自辞典例句
22 perch 5u1yp     
n.栖木,高位,杆;v.栖息,就位,位于
参考例句:
  • The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。
  • Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。
23 tattered bgSzkG     
adj.破旧的,衣衫破的
参考例句:
  • Her tattered clothes in no way detracted from her beauty.她的破衣烂衫丝毫没有影响她的美貌。
  • Their tattered clothing and broken furniture indicated their poverty.他们褴褛的衣服和破烂的家具显出他们的贫穷。
24 graceful deHza     
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的
参考例句:
  • His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
  • The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。
25 axe 2oVyI     
n.斧子;v.用斧头砍,削减
参考例句:
  • Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利,你要当心。
  • The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。
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