中级美国英语 第三十六课

一.本课要点及示例

在这一课里, 我们学习动词加上宾语再加上动词不定式的用法, 比方 "用信用卡买" use credit cards to buy. "准许你用" permit you to use 等等, 我们还要谈一谈美国人怎么用信用卡代替现钱来买东西.
首先我们听一段对话,内容是说凯特跟亨利谈起了用信用卡的事情. 请你注意两位英文老师的发音和语调.

F: I am happy I started carrying the credit card that the bank gave us.
M: Why is that, Kate? Did you use it to buy something?
F: I sure did. On the way home I stopped at the store to buy some beef for dinner. I forgot
　 that I didn't have any cash with me.
M: And they permitted you to pay with the card?
F: Yes. They didn't even ask me to give them identification¹.
M: We have to be careful. If we lose them and someone finds them, the bank will charge us
　 for what they buy.
F: How much has the bank authorized³ us to spend with the card?
M: Fifteen hundred dollars. The bank encourages us to use the card, but they will also
　 require us to pay them back.
F: You are right, Henry. I'll remember that.But the card sure makes it easy to spend money.

现在我们听两位老师用慢速度再把整段对话再念一遍.

F: I am happy I started carrying the credit card that the bank gave us.
M: Why is that, Kate? Did you use it to buy something?
F: I sure did. On the way home I stopped at the store to buy some beef for dinner. I forgot
　 that I didn't have any cash with me.
M: And they permitted you to pay with the card?
F: Yes. They didn't even ask me to give them identification.
M: We have to be careful. If we lose them and someone finds them, the bank will charge us
　 for what they buy.
F: How much has the bank authorized us to spend with the card?
M: Fifteen hundred dollars. The bank encourages us to use the card, but they will also
　 require us to pay them back.
F: You are right, Henry. I'll remember that.But the card sure makes it easy to spend money.

下面我把对话里包含了今天要学的语法的句子挑出来, 请英文老师再念一遍给你听.

M: Did you use it to buy something?
M: And they permitted you to pay with the card?
F: They didn't ask me to give them identification.
F: How much has the bank authorized us to spend with the card?
M: The bank encourages us to use the card.
M: They will also require us to pay them back.

二.动词加宾语再加动词不定式

听了上面那些句子, 你可能觉得今天要学的语法并不难, 不过句子里有些词汇, 比方 "准许" permit, "授权"authorize². "鼓励" encourage 等等你或许觉得有点儿生疏. 现在我们作第一组练习, 一方面学习语法,一方面记词汇. 我请英文老师根据刚才那段对话念一些句子. 这些句子都跟凯特用信用卡有关系. 比方 "银行规定她必须有储蓄账户." The bank requires her to have a saving account. "银行可能要她付利息" The bank may ask her to pay interest.等等. 你先注意听男老师念句子, 然后跟着女老师把句子重复一遍.

M: The bank allowed Kate to use a credit card.
F: The bank allowed Kate to use a credit card.
M: The bank permitted her to charge with it.
F: The bank permitted her to charge with it.
M: The bank authorized her to spend 15 hundred dollars with it.
F: The bank authorized her to spend 15 hundred dollars with it.
M: The bank requires her to have a saving account.
F: The bank requires her to have a saving account.
M: The bank encourages her to use it.
F: The bank encourages her to use it.
M: The bank will ask her to pay the money back.
F: The bank will ask her to pay the money back.
M: The bank may ask her to pay interest.
F: The bank may ask her to pay interest.

下面我们再作一组练习把语法和词汇重复练习一遍. 练习的作法是老师用疑问词提出问句, 比方 What did the bank permit Kate to use? 接着老师念一个词组, 比方 a credit card, 学生就用词组来回答问题, 所以答案就是 The bank permitted Kate to use a credit card. 现在我们开始作练习.在学生回答问题的时候请你也一起回答.

M: What did the bank permit Kate to use?
M: a credit card
F: The bank permitted Kate to use a credit card.
M: What did the bank allow her to do with it?
M: charge with it
F: The bank allowed her to charge with it.
M: How much money did the bank authorize her to spend?
M: 15 hundred dollars
F: The bank authorized her to spend 15 hundred dollars.
M: What does the bank require her to have?
M: a saving account
F: The bank requires her to have a saving account.
M: What does the bank encourage her to do?
M: use the credit card
F: The bank encourages her to use the credit card.
M: What will the bank ask her to do?
M: pay the money back
F: The bank will ask her to pay the money back.
M: What may the bank ask her to pay?
M: interest
F: The bank may ask her to pay interest.

从刚才作的练习里我们可以知道, 在美国如果你在银行里有储蓄, 银行可能给你信用卡代替现款用, 一段时间之后你才加上利息还清. 下面我们作一组代换练习看看美国人常常用信用卡买什么东西, 比方买汽油, 买车票, 戏票, 付账等等. 美国人也用信用卡邮购东西, 也就是 place mail orders, 或是"证明自己的身份 "identify themselves. 现在我们开始作练习. 请你跟着老师把第一个句子重复一遍, 然后把老师提出的词组代换到原来的句子里, 每作完一句就请你听老师再把句子念一遍.

M: People use credit cards to buy a lot of things.
M: buy clothes
F: People use credit cards to buy clothes.
M: purchase gasoline
F: People use credit cards to purchase gasoline.
M: purchase tickets
F: People use credit cards to purchase tickets.
M: pay bills
F: People use credit cards to pay bills.
M: place mail orders
F: People use credit cards to place mail orders.
M: identify themselves
F: People use credit cards to identify themselves.

下面我们换一个方式作练习, 一方面复习今天教的语法, 一方面再学一学信用卡的用途, 比方 "买家具" buy furnitures, "订杂志" subscribe⁴ to magazines,"订礼物"order gifts 等等.练习的作法是老师念一个被动语态句子,请你用 one,o-n-e, one 作主语把句子改成主动语态说出来.下面就是一个例子:

M: Credit cards can be used to buy expensive things.
F: One can use credit cards to buy expensive things.

现在我们开始作练习, 每作完一句, 老师就把正确答案念给你听.

M: Credit cards can be used to buy expensive things.
F: One can use credit cards to buy expensive things.
M: Credit cards can be used to buy furnitures.
F: One can use credit cards to buy furnitures.
M: Credit cards can be used to purchase food.
F: One can use credit cards to purchase food.
M: Credit cards can be used to purchase airplane tickets.
F: One can use credit cards to purchase airplane tickets.
M: Credit cards can be used to pay restaurant bills.
F: One can use credit cards to pay restaurant bills.
M: Credit cards can be used to subscribe to magazines.
F: One can use credit cards to subscribe to magazines.
M: Credit cards can be used to order gifts.
F: One can use credit cards to order gifts.

下面我们再作一组练习, 一方面再学学今天这一课的语法, 一方面也可以学一学在美国人们用信用卡的种种规定, 比方有固定收入的人才可以申请信用卡,顾客用信用卡买东西必须在账单上签名, 除了银行,大商店也可以发信用卡给信用好的顾客等等. 练习的作法是老师念一个有从句的被动语态句子, 比方"申请信用卡的人必须交出他们的财务方面的资料." People who are applying for a credit card are required to supply their financial information. 请你用商店作主语把句子改成主动语态, 所以答案就是 "商店要求申请信用卡的人交出财务方面的资料." The store requires people who are applying for a credit card to supply their financial information. 这组练习里的句子比较长, 请你特别注意听, 每作完一句, 老师会念出正确答案给你听.

M: People who have regular incomes are permitted to apply for a credit card.
F: The store permits people who have regular incomes to apply for a credit card.
M: People who are applying for credit cards are required to supply their financial
　 information.
F: The store requires people who are applying for credit cards to supply their financial
　 information.
M: People who make regular payments are allowed to use credit cards.
F: The store allows people who make regular payments to use credit cards.
M: People who have credit cards are authorized to spend money with them.
F: The store authorizes⁵ people who have credit cards to spend money with them.
M: Customers who have credit cards are encouraged to use them.
F: The store encourages customers who have credit cards to use them.
M: Customers who use credit cards are asked to sign the bills.
F: The store asks customers who use credit cards to sign the bills.

三.听短文回答问题

现在我们来作这一课的听力测验. 今天我们要听的文章是介绍美国人用信用卡的情况.文章里不但提到什么是信用卡,为什么许多美国人买东西不用现款,不开支票, 而用信用卡, 文章也解释了用信用卡的种种规定和信用卡的种种用途. 文章里的词汇都是我们以前学过或是刚才练习过的. 现在请你注意听.

Americans spend a lot of money in their daily lives. Working people spend money on
transportation to and from work and on various expenses throughout the day. Americans
enjoy shopping and buy many things that they need and want. They spend a lot of money
on entertainment. They buy sports equipment, go to sporting events and do many things
that cost money.
However, many Americans don't pay cash or write checks for these things. More and more
they pay for things with credit cards. Credit cards are small, rectangular⁶ plastic cards.
Banks give these cards to their customers. When the customer buys something at a store,
he shows his card at the store. This authorizes the store to charge the bank for the
customer's purchase. The bank collects all the charges for each customer. Then once a
month the bank requires the customer to pay all the charges for that month. The bank does
not force the customer to pay the full amount. It allows the customer to pay for the charges
in several payments over a period of time.
However, the bank requires the customer to pay interest on the unpaid⁷ part of the charges.
In this way the bank allows customers to buy things they cannot afford at one time.
People can use the card to buy what they want and pay for it over a period of time.
They also do not need to carry a lot of money.

刚才那篇文章如果你没有全部听懂, 没有关系, 等一会儿你还有机会听. 现在我们先把今天测验的三个问题听一遍.

第一个问题是:
M: How do Americans pay for things they buy?

第二个问题是:
M: What is a credit card?

第三个问题是:
M: What are some of the advantages in using credit cards?

现在我请英文老师用慢速度再把整篇文章念一遍.

Americans spend a lot of money in their daily lives. Working people spend money on
transportation to and from work and on various expenses throughout the day. Americans
enjoy shopping and buy many things that they need and want. They spend a lot of money
on entertainment. They buy sports equipment, go to sporting events and do many things
that cost money.
However, many Americans don't pay cash or write checks for these things. More and more
they pay for things with credit cards. Credit cards are small, rectangular plastic cards.
Banks give these cards to their customers. When the customer buys something at a store,
he shows his card at the store. This authorizes the store to charge the bank for the
customer's purchase. The bank collects all the charges for each customer. Then once a
month the bank requires the customer to pay all the charges for that month. The bank does
not force the customer to pay the full amount. It allows the customer to pay for the charges
in several payments over a period of time.
However, the bank requires the customer to pay interest on the unpaid part of the charges.
In this way the bank allows customers to buy things they cannot afford at one time.
People can use the card to buy what they want and pay for it over a period of time.
They also do not need to carry a lot of money.

现在请你回答下面三个问题. 每回答一个问题, 老师就会念出正确答案给你听, 让你作个比较, 看你答对了没有.

第一个问题是:
M: How do Americans pay for things they buy?
F: They pay cash, write checks or use credit cards.

第二个问题是:
M: What is a credit card?
F: It is a small rectangular plastic card which is used for money.

第三个问题是:
M: What are some of the advantages in using credit cards?
F: People can buy things that they cannot afford at one time. They also do not need to
　 carry a lot of money.

1 identification   

n.视为同一，证明同一，确认

参考例句：

• He's made a formal identification of the body.他正式确认了死者身份。
• We should have identification card on the person when we go out.我们外出时应随身携带身份证。

2 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

3 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

4 subscribe   

vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助

参考例句：

• I heartily subscribe to that sentiment.我十分赞同那个观点。
• The magazine is trying to get more readers to subscribe.该杂志正大力发展新订户。

5 authorizes   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings 'traveler' and 'traveller'. 字典裁定traveler和traveller两种拼法都对。
• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings "honor" and "honour.". 字典裁定 honor 及 honour 两种拼法均可。

6 rectangular   

adj.矩形的，成直角的

参考例句：

• He put a rectangular box on the table.他把一个长方形的箱子放在桌子上。
• The equations are written in rectangular coordinates.这些方程是在直角座标系中写出的。

7 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。