Ｕｎｉｔｓ１－２课文要点解析

冯　凌

1. …that the longest moustache reached a length of 1.6 metres and that the longest poisonous snake is 5.71 metres long. ……最长的胡须长达1.6米，最长的毒蛇长达5.71米。

reach动词，作“到达；达到”解时可以是及物动词，也可以是不及物动词。

The wave may only be a few metres high in the ocean but when it is near the shore and reaches shallow water, the wave builds up very quickly in height. 波浪在海中或许只有几米高，但是在靠近海岸进入浅水的时候，高度迅速增加。

〖提醒注意〗

⑴ reach作“到达”解时是个非持续性动词，用于完成式时，不可与表示一段时间的状语连用。如：

我到北京已经一个多月了。

I have reached Beijing for more than a month. （误）

I reached Beijing more than a month ago. （正）

I have been in Beijing for more than a month. （正）

⑵ reach作“传开；深入”解时为不及物动词，其后须用介词与宾语连接。如：

声音一直传到大厅的后面。

The sound reached the back of the hall. （误）

The sound reached to the back of the hall. （正）

〖拓展延伸〗

reach还可作名词用，作“伸出；触及的距离；伸手长度”解。如：

make a reach for sth./sb. 伸手拿某物（抓某人）

He got a book on the shelf by a long reach. 他伸长手到架子上拿了一本书。

2. Impressive as the record is, it fades next to the story of Armstrongs struggle against disease. 虽然这项记录令人难忘，但阿姆斯特朗与疾病抗争的故事比它更加令人瞩目。

⑴impressive adj. 意思是“给人印象深刻的；感人的”。如：

an impressive scene 难忘的场面

〖发散思维〗

impress v. 给……极深的印象；引人注目；铭刻；印，压印n. 印记；印象效应

impression n. 压印，印记，压痕；印次，版；底色；印象，感想，模糊的观念；效果，影响

impressionism n. （绘画、文艺等方面的）印象主义；印象派

impressionist n. 印象派艺术家 adj. 印象主义的

impress on/upon sb. 给某人极深的印象

⑵as conj. 作“虽然；尽管”解时，引导让步状语从句。

Tired as they were, they walked on.

尽管很累，他们还是继续走着。

Child as he is, he knows a lot. 尽管他是个孩子，但他知道的事情很多。

3. In 1996 Armstrong, the then No. 1 cyclist in the world, was diagnosed with cancer and many thought that it meant the end of his career, maybe even his life. 1996年，阿姆斯特朗——世界上的自行车赛冠军被确诊为癌症，许多人认为可能结束了他的比赛生涯，乃至生命。

mean vt. & vi. 作“意味着；意思是；意指”解。如：

The red light means “stop”.

红灯表示“停止”。

I mean to go tomorrow.

我打算明天去。

I said I would help him and I meant it. 我说过我要帮助他，我说到做到。

〖辨析〗mean to do 与mean doing

前者表示“……打算做……”；后者表示“……意味着……”。如：

I didnt mean to start an argument. 我并不想（跟你）争论。

Accepting the job means living abroad. 接受这个工作就意味着在国外居住。

4. No records that are dangerous to the person who is attempting it or to others are allowed. 不允许有对尝试着的人或对他人有危险的记录。

attempt vt. & n. 意思是“企图；试图；尝试”。attempt作及物动词时，它的宾语不能是动名词短语或that从句，只能是名词或动词不定式。如：

The doctor attempted to save the womans life.

医生试图挽救这位妇女的生命。

〖帮你归纳〗

make an attempt to do sth.

试图做某事

make an attempt at doing sth.

试图做某事

make an attempt on (或upon)

试图夺取

The prisoner made an attempt at escaping (to escape) from prison.

这名囚犯试图越狱。

The enemy made an attempt on Loushanguan fortress.

敌人试图夺取娄山关要塞。

5. …after a long journey wandering through Arabic countries, he returned to the motherland by boat in 762. ……经过长途跋涉，流浪着经过阿拉伯国家，他在762年乘船回到了祖国。

wandering是现在分词，在句中作伴随状语。

He sat in silence, doing nothing. 他静静地坐着，无所事事。

The girls came in, following their parents. 那些女孩跟着他们的父母进来。

6. The earliest Asian cultural relic found in Africa also dates from this period. 在非洲发现的亚洲最早的文化遗物也始于这个时期。

⑴date from意思是“（从某一时代）开始；回溯”。

This custom dates from the 16th century. 这风俗起源于16世纪。

〖拓展延伸〗

date back to 回溯（到某个时代）

This building dates back to 1823. 这栋建筑是1823年所建。

⑵found in Africa 为过去分词短语作后置定语。过去分词作定语与所修饰词之间为被动关系。单个的过去分词作定语放在被修饰词之前；分词短语则置于被修饰词之后。

Everyone attended the meeting held last week. 所有的人都参加了上周举行的会议。

The paper must be finished in a given time. 必须在既定的时间内完成答卷。

7. The exchange of goods had a symbolic meaning far more important than the value of the goods themselves. 物品的交换具有象征性的意义，远比物品本身的价值重要得多。

far在修饰more时表示程度。

〖拓展延伸〗

能够修饰比较级的副词有any, far, still, even, much, rather, a lot, a great deal, a bit等。

〖提醒注意〗

① quite, very, fairly等副词不能修饰比较级，只有一个例外，表示身体康复时用quite better。

② how不能修饰比较级，如果用how引导的疑问句中有比较级时，可以用much来连接，构成 “how much+比较级”结构。

How much further do we have to go, Smith?

我们还要再走多远，史密斯？

8. Some suggested it could not be accomplished.

有的人提出这不可能实现。

suggest 意思是“提议；建议；暗示”，主要用于以下结构：

⑴suggest+n./v.-ing+(to)（向……）提议

He suggested going there by train. 他建议搭火车去那儿。

⑵suggest+that从句。意思是“建议；提议”。从句谓语动词常用(should)+动词原形。

I suggested to him that he (should) join the club activities.

我建议他应该参加该俱乐部的活动。

⑶suggest+n./that从句。意思是“暗示；委婉地说”。

His face suggested that he failed. 他的表情表明他失败了。

9. The local Tibetans and Sherpas laughed at the strange bottles containing what they referred to as “English air”. 当地的西藏人和夏尔巴人都讥讽那些带着装有所谓“英国空气”瓶子的英国人。

refer v. (referred, referring) 意思是“提及；涉及；查阅；求助于；与……有关”，与介词to搭配。如：

refer to a dictionary 查字典

refer to the facts of history 提及史实

refer to…as…

将……称为……

Zheng He has often been referred to as the Chinese Columbus.

郑和一直被人们称为中国的哥伦布。

10. …were the first to make it to the summit of Mount Qomolangma.

……是首次成功登上珠穆朗玛峰的人。

⑴不定式作后置定语，与所修饰的名词之间是逻辑动宾关系，因此不定式应用及物动词的主动形式，不及物动词要搭配相应介词。如：

She refused to go to the ball because she had no jewellery to wear. 她没有任何首饰可佩戴，因此拒绝参加舞会。

They had only a little room to live in. 他们住在一间小屋子里。

[帮你归纳]

主语+be+adj.+不定式“某人/物做起来……”，其中不定式作状语，也使用及物动词的主动形式，不及物动词搭配相应介词。

⑵make it（口语）做成，成功；达到目的；设法安排

——Can we catch the train?

我们能赶上火车吗？

——I hope we can make it.

希望能赶上。

He says hell get up at six tomorrow morning, but hell never make it. 他说他明天早上要6点起床，但他是绝对做不到的。