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UNIT 1
Text A
PRE-READING TASK
Exercise 1
Consider the questions before reading the passage.
1. Is your college life the same as you expected?
2. What came into your mind when you became a college student?
3. Are people around you at college nice and friendly to you?
Now compare your answers with those of your neighbours'.
College - A New Experience
1. College is a new and different experience for me. I'm away from home, so I have many things to adjust to. Being on my own, talking with friendly people, and having Fridays off -- these are just some things I like about college.
2. Living at college, first of all, gives me a sense of responsibility, of being on my own. My parents aren't around to say, "No, you're not going out tonight" or "Did you finish your homework?" Everything I do has to be my decision, and that gives me the responsibility of handling my own life. During the second week I was at college, I had to go out and look for a bank where I could open an account. Before that I looked in the phone book since I had no clue about any banks around here or where they were located. Someone told me about a good bank: Continental Federal Savings. I went to the bank and made decisions for myself -- whether to have a checking or savings account and whether or not to get a MASTER card. That was one example of having responsibility now that I'm on my own and of making my own decisions.
3. Friendly people: that's another aspect I like about college. On my first day (and even now) people were nice to me. I came to Marymount University here in Virginia from New York and -- even though I'd been here before -- I was a bit confused about where I was going. My mother and I drove in, not knowing the building we were supposed to go to, and the guard was especially nice: with a smile, he told us what building we were looking for and where we could park our car. My room was on the first floor of New Gerard, and I knew I had to go through some glass doors -- but my mother and I didn't know which ones. Some upperclassmen saw me and asked, "Are you a new student?" When they found out I was looking for New Gerard, one said, "Oh, just follow us; that's where we're going." Even now I feel comfortable in the dorm because there are friendly people around to talk with.
4. Finally -- to add to my likes of college -- I love having Fridays off; I wouldn't be able to cope with five days of classes in a row. Also, I love to sleep in. One Thursday night, my roommate and I and the people across the hall went to Georgetown. We got in rather early the next morning, and my roommate (Juanita) and I decided to sleep in, something I couldn't do in high school.
5. I do like things about college -- being on my own, talking with friendly people, having Fridays off, but this doesn't mean I don't think about things at home. Although I like college, I can still get homesick: New York is a pretty good place, too.
New Words
adjust
v. 调整，适应于
responsibility
n. 责任，责任心
tonight
ad. on or during the night of today 在今夜
n. the night of today 今夜
handle
v. 1. to deal with; control 处理，应付，操纵
2. to treat 对待，处理
account
n. 1. 账目，账户
2. a written or spoken report or story 报道，叙述
clue
n. something that helps to find an answer to a question, difficulty, etc.线索，暗示
locate
v. to fix or set in a certain place 把...设置在，使...坐落于
continental
a. 大陆的
federal
a. 联邦的，联邦制的
savings
n. 储蓄（金）
aspect
n. a certain side of many-sided state of affairs, idea, plan, etc. （问题、事物等的）方面
confuse
v. 使...困惑，把...弄糊涂
upperclassman
n. （美）高年级学生，大学三（四）年级学生
dorm
n. (=dormitory)集体寝室，宿舍
cope
v. to deal successfully (with something) 妥善处理
roommate
n. 住同室的人
homesick
a. feeling a great wish to be at home, when away from it想家的，患怀乡病的
Phrases and Expressions
adjust to
适应于
on one's own
独立地
have ... off
休假
first of all
首先
look for
寻找
open an account
开账户
make a decision
作出决定
now that
既然，因为
find out
了解到，发现
add to
给...增添
cope with
处理
in a row
连续地
sleep in
迟起，睡懒觉
Proper Names
Continental Federal Savings
大陆联邦储蓄银行
MASTER card
万事达信用卡
Marymount University
玛丽芒特大学
Virginia
弗吉尼亚州（美国州名）
New York
1. 纽约州（美国州名）
2. 纽约市（美国城市）
New Gerard
新吉拉德大楼
Georgetown
乔治敦区（华盛顿市内西部一住宅区）
Juanita
胡安妮塔（人名）
Text B
PRE-READING TASK
Exercise 1
Before reading the passage, think over the questions to see if you can answer them.
1. How do you read a textbook?
2. Do you like to take notes while reading?
3. Do you often review what you have just read? Why or why not?
Now read the passage and compare your answers with the suggestions of the author's.
How to Study Read
1. Most students don't know how to study read. They usually open their textbooks to the assigned page and start reading. But before long, their minds have wandered off somewhere. Or they read and mark up the pages by underlining everything that seems important. Study reading is different from regular reading. You are expected to remember more, and in most cases, will be tested on what you read. Here is a four-step method for study reading that can help improve comprehension and promote retention of what is read.
Step One: Prepare to Read
2. It's important to prepare yourself to read. Much time can be lost when you try to plunk yourself into reading an assigned chapter when your mind isn't ready. Because you can think faster than you can read, your mind can easily go into daydreams or other thoughts if you aren't ready to read an assignment. The wisest thing to do is to skim over the chapter to be read. Let the title sink in. Read an opening paragraph or two to see what the chapter is about. Then read the headings and subheadings. Next read the summary or the last couple of paragraphs. It may not make a lot of sense, but your mind will begin to clear out other thoughts. You'll begin to think about the content of the chapter. If there are study questions at the end of the chapter, read those. Having questions about what you are reading helps concentration and gives you a purpose for reading.
Step Two: Read
3. After you've looked over the chapter, you are ready to read. If you don't have any questions about the content of the chapter, make some up. You can do this by turning the title and headings into questions. If you are reading a long chapter, don't try to read too much at once. It's better if you read from one heading to the next. Then stop and follow Step Three below. If there are no headings in the chapter, read about two pages; then stop and follow Step Three below.
Step Three: Examine What You Read
4. By reading only short passages and then stopping, you stand a better chance of concentrating on the chapter's content. The third step is now to examine what you read. Put the textbook aside, and write some notes in your own words. In a few key words or phrases, write down the major points you just read. Research shows that doing this aids comprehension and retention for future tests. If you don't believe in taking reading notes, at least try to recite to yourself the key points you just read. When you are satisfied you understand what you read, then read from the next heading to the next, stopping every once in a while to take notes or go over what you read. Follow this step until you are finished with the chapter. Though this may seem slow, as you practice this study reading technique, you'll discover it's really faster because you don't waste time by losing concentration or having to reread what you've read.
Step Four: Plan to Review
5. This last step does not take place immediately after you read, but it's very important for remembering what you read and can mean the difference between a C and an A on a test. You should make a definite plan to review your reading notes every week. As you move through a course, you have more and more to learn. You can't remember it all. In fact, unless we review every week what has been studied before, we can forget over 80 percent of what we read. So plan to review once a week. Go over your notes. If they don't make sense when you review, go back to the chapter and reread what isn't clear. (It's important to write chapter titles and page references to key points in your notes so you can find things quickly when you review.
6. Research shows it's not so much how long you study that gets good grades, but how well and how often you study. Try this four-step method (PREP) and watch those grades go up.
New Words
assign
v. 1. to give 分配
2. 委派，指派
wander
v. 1. to move away (from the main idea)离题，离开正道
2. to move about (an area) without a fixed course and aim 漫游，闲逛
underline
v. 划线于...之下
seem
v. to appear 好像，似乎
case
n. 1. a state of affairs 情况，状况
2. an example事例，实例
method
n. a way or manner (of doing)方法，办法
comprehension
n. the ability of the mind to understand 理解力，理解
promote
v. 1. to support; help in the growth of 促进，助长
2. to advance (someone) in position or rank 提升
retention
n. 1. 记忆（力）
2. 保持，保留
plunk
v. 砰地投入，扑通一声落下
chapter
n. one of the main parts of a book or long article 章，回
easily
ad. without difficulty 容易地
daydream
n. 1. （思想）开小差
2. 幻想，空想
assignment
n. a piece of work given to the students 指定的（课外）作业
skim
v. 1. to read quickly to get the main ideas 略读，快读
2. 擦过，滑过
title
n. 1. a name given to a book, play, etc. 标题
2. 权利，资格
paragraph
n. （文章的）段，节
subheading
n. 小标题，副标题
summary
n. 摘要，概要
content
n. 1. the subject matter of a book, paper, etc. 内容
2. 容量，含量
concentration
n. close or complete attention 专心，集中
purpose
n. 意图，目的
concentrate
v. 1. to keep or direct (all one's thoughts, efforts, attention, etc.) 集中，全神贯注
2. to (cause to) come together in or around one place 集中
aside
ad. to or towards the side 在旁边
phrase
n. a small group of words 短语，词组
major
a. greater when compared with others, in size, number, or importance 主要的，较大范围的
aid
v. to help; support 帮助，援助
n. help or support 帮助，援助
recite
v. to say (sth. learned) aloud from memory 背诵，朗诵
technique
n. 1. 技巧
2. 技术，工艺
definite
a. without any uncertainty; clear 明确的，确切的
reference
n. 1. 参考
2. 提及，涉及
Phrases and Expressions
before long
不久，很快
mark up
把...标出
in most cases
在大多数情况下
sink in
被理解，被理会
make sense
讲得通，有意义，可行
clear out
把...清出
at the end of
在末尾
look over
把...看一遍
make up
编造
turn...into
把...变成，使...成为
at once
一次
stand a good chance
很有可能
concentrate on
专心于，全神贯注于
put...aside
把...放在一边
a few
一些
write down
写下，记下
believe in
相信...的效果，相信...可行
at least
至少
once in a while
偶尔，间或
go over
仔细地阅读一遍，浏览
take place
发生，举行
in fact
事实上，实际上
go up
上升，增长
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