Unit 1
1.The writer describes the first few days of university life in thediary with a casual , informal style full of humor and exaggeration. As afresher, the writer has many problems: feeling lonely and lost, not having agood appetite for the food in the dining hall, feeling not as intelligent andknowledgeable as others; not knowing how to take notes and how to wash clothes.Besides, her dormitory looks very small. The tutor seems unfriendly anduncaring. The library rules are too strict. The writer tries to solve theproblems: joining many clubs and societies to make more friends, talking to Mumon the phone to get some comfort and advice.
2. The writer of the text newly arrived in New York as an immigrant. He worked fulltime with a variety of manual jobs while taking courses at the university. Hewas faced with many problems. He felt inferior (自卑) to his classmates because he didn’t have ahigh school diploma and he had a strong Irish accent. He didn’t know how totake notes in the class. He was puzzled by what the professor said about thePilgrims and dared not ask questions in the class. Being lonely and insecure,he was dreaming of a good-looking girl who was impressed
by what he had readand what he would fall in love with him.
Unit 2
1. was the first time that I had oyster.Before I had it,I thought it was disgusted to eat.And I even missed mother’s cook andfish and fries.But myfather encouraged me to swallow it,which he thought was delicious.In order to earned his love and respect,I did,and that was the last time I had oyster.
2.is passage tells us the history of chocolates and the progress ofmaking cocoa beans into chocolates.It also tells us the reason we like chocolate so much and accordingto experiment,whichproves that genetic trait makes us prefer to eat things with a sweet taste.But we just like chocolate not othersweet things.Althoughthere are about 300 different chemicals in chocolate, we really don’t know howall of these affect us.
lonely lonely christmas
Unit 3
1. “Thinking for oneself” means considering facts and makingdecisions for oneself, instead of depending on someone else’s judgment or doingas they are told. Every step of real progress in our society has come from it,yet thinking for ourselves is still a radical act. In most circles, especiallyin places that shape our lives, thinking for ourselves is regarded with suspicion,and even seen as dangerous. Hardly anyone has been encouraged, much lesstrained to do it. I was once forced by my advanced algebra mentor to write downthe sum of a number that does not exist. Even though scared by such a humiliatingexperience, I gradually examined and valued the concept of developing our ownthinking which has at least been introduced into my academic life. Thinking foroneself is associated with the positive values of being independent, creativeand original.
2. Activist learners generate new ideas and try things out; Reflectorsform their own judgments from listening, observing and reflecting; Theorists resortto logical reasoning and assimilating new information into a rational scheme.Pragmatists prefer testing ideas with practical values to open-endeddiscussions. This passage tells us how to improve study skill
s among theseways,such as lectures andnote-taking, earning styles, activist,reflector,theorist,pragmatist,doing research,writing essays.
Tips for doing research
1. Do not get bogged down in the research
2. Break up the process into stages
3. Apply a step-by-step approach to reading
4. Decide a reading rate and style in accordance with the type ofreading material and your purpose in reading
Tips for writing essays
1. Have a plan
2. Work out the title
3. Finish the first draft
4. Make modifications for the sake of readers
Unit 4
1. Mobile phones have been the biggest factor _of change in everydaybehavior. An increasing number of subscribers make more calls and take decisionsthat make an impact on their lifestyle more quickly. At the same time, theworld has become smaller due to the wide use of mobile phones. In order to testwhether people can live without mobile phones, the researchers ask three peopleto switch off their mobile phones for three days.
2. Even when you speak a language well, there may be cultural issueswhich cause misunderstanding. It’s not possible to learn everything about othercultures, but you need to be aware of the possibility of differences.
Unit 5
Until nowwe still think thinking for yourself is still a radical act. From myexperiences,Igradually know how important to think for yourself.Though the teacher’s method is not very good,but at least she introduced theconcept into my academic life.
Unit 6
1.This passagetells us the definition and result of shopaholism,and the reasons that some one loves shoppingso much,which areshopping appears to be attractive and exciting and shopping can reduce stress.There are also some ways to solve thisproblem.
2.here aresome differences between men and women on shopping perceive.If you want to go shopping with yourboyfriend,you shouldask your boyfriend's advice,make sureyou ask him Yes / No questions,don'tchange your mind,try it ononly if you intend to buy it,take theitem of clothing to the checkout,don'tbe unkind when you get home.
Unit 7
1.As far back as I can remember, the large pickle jar sat on thefloor beside the dresser in my parents’ bedroom. When Dad got ready for bed, hewould empty his pockets and toss his coins into the jar. When the jar was full,the coins were stacked neatly in a small cardboard box and taken to the bank.The money were for my college fund. The years passed, and I finished collegeand took a job in another town. Once, while visiting my parents, I found thepickle jar was gone. A lump rose in my throat, because the pickle jar hadtaught me the values of determination, perseverance & faith. The firstChristmas after my daughter Jessica was born, I returned with my family. To myamazement , on the floor beside the dresser stood the old pickle jar again. Irealized my father was saving for my daughter’s education. The jar shows acontinuity of family values for a new generation.