大学英语综合一

全新版大学英语综合教程第一册单元4课文介绍

导语：美国梦意味着与不同的人不同的东西。 但对许多人来说，特别是移民，这意味着有机会为自己谋生。 对他们来说，梦想是，人才和辛勤工作可以把你从木屋带到白宫。 下面是一篇讲述主人公的美国梦并没有如此高涨，而是设法让自己的梦想成真。

Part I Pre-reading Task

Listen to the recording two or three times and then think over the following questions:

1. According to Dr. Hertz, what did the American Dream mean to his grandparents?

2. In Dr. Hertz's opinion, who wants people to believe in the American Dream? Why?

3. Why does Dr. Hertz say the American Dream is in one's head and in one's pocket?

4. What do you understand by the American Dream?

The following words in the recording may be new to you:

poverty

n. 贫穷

advertising

n. 广告宣传

Part II

Text

The American Dream means different things to different people. But for many, particularly immigrants, it means the opportunity to make a better life for themselves. For them the dream is that talent and hard work can take you from log cabin to White House. Tony Trivisonno did not rise quite so high, yet he managed to make his own dream come true.

TONY TRIVISONNO'S AMERICAN DREAM

Frederick C. Crawford

He came from a rocky farm in Italy, somewhere south of Rome. How or when he got to America, I don't know. But one evening I found him standing in the driveway, behind my garage. He was about five-foot-seven or eight, and thin.

"I mow your lawn," he said. It was hard to comprehend his broken English.

I asked him his name. "Tony Trivisonno," he replied. "I mow your lawn." I told Tony that I couldn't afford a gardener.

"I mow your lawn," he said again, then walked away. I went into my house unhappy. Yes, these Depression days were difficult, but how could I to turn away a person who had come to me for help?

When I got home from work the next evening, the lawn had been mowed, the garden weeded, and the walks swept. I asked my wife what had happened.

"A man got the lawn mower out of the garage and worked on the yard," she answered. "I assumed you had hired him."

I told her of my experience the night before. We thought it strange that he had not asked for pay.

The next two days were busy, and I forgot about Tony. We were trying to rebuild our business and bring some of our workers back to the plants. But on Friday, returning home a little early, I saw Tony again, behind the garage. I complimented him on the work he had done.

"I mow your lawn," he said.

I managed to work out some kind of small weekly pay, and each day Tony cleaned up the yard and took care of any little tasks. My wife said he was very helpful whenever there were any heavy objects to lift or things to fix.

Summer passed into fall, and winds blew cold. "Mr. Craw, snow pretty soon," Tony told me one evening. "When winter come, you give me job clearing snow at the factory."

Well, what do you do with such determination and hope? Of course, Tony got his job at the factory.

The months passed. I asked the personnel department for a report. They said Tony was a very good worker.

One day I found Tony at our meeting place behind the garage. "I want to be 'prentice," he said.

We had a pretty good apprentice school that trained laborers. But I doubted whether Tony had the capacity to read blueprints and micrometers or do precision work. Still, how could I turn him down?

Tony took a cut in pay to become an apprentice. Months later, I got a report that he had graduated as a skilled grinder. He had learned to read the millionths of an inch on the micrometer and to shape the grinding wheel with an instrument set with a diamond. My wife and I were delighted with what we felt was a satisfying end of the story.

A year or two passed, and again I found Tony in his usual waiting place. We talked about his work, and I asked him what he wanted.

"Mr. Craw," he said, "I like a buy a house." On the edge of town, he had found a house for sale, a complete wreck.

I called on a banker friend. "Do you ever loan money on character?" I asked. "No," he said. "We can't afford to. No sale."

"Now, wait a minute," I replied. "Here is a hard-working man, a man of character, I can promise you that. He's got a good job. You're not getting a damn thing from your lot. It will stay there for years. At least he will pay your interest."

Reluctantly, the banker wrote a mortgage for $2,000 and gave Tony the house with no down payment. Tony was delighted. From then on, it was interesting to see that any discarded odds and ends around our place — a broken screen, a bit of hardware, boards from packing — Tony would gather and take home.

After about two years, I found Tony in our familiar meeting spot. He seemed to stand a little straighter. He was heavier. He had a look of confidence.

"Mr. Craw, I sell my house!" he said with pride. "I got $8,000."

I was amazed. "But, Tony, where are you going to live without a house?"

"Mr. Craw, I buy a farm."

We sat down and talked. Tony told me that to own a farm was his dream. He loved the tomatoes and peppers and all the other vegetables important to his Italian diet. He had sent for his wife and son and daughter back in Italy. He had hunted around the edge of town until he found a small, abandoned piece of property with a house and shed. Now he was moving his family to his farm.

Sometime later. Tony arrived on a Sunday afternoon, neatly dressed. He had another Italian man with him. He told me that he had persuaded his childhood friend to move to America. Tony was sponsoring him. With an amused look in his eye, he told me that when they approached the little farm he now operated, his friend stood in amazement and said, "Tony, you are a millionaire!"

Then, during the war, a message came from my company. Tony had passed away.

I asked our people to check on his family and see that everything was properly handled. They found the farm green with vegetables, the little house livable and homey. There was a tractor and a good car in the yard. The children were educated and working, and Tony didn't owe a cent.

After he passed away, I thought more and more about Tony's career. He grew in stature in my mind. In the end, I think he stood as tall, and as proud, as the greatest American industrialists.

They had all reached their success by the same route and by the same values and principles: vision, determination, self-control, optimism, self-respect and, above all, integrity.

Tony did not begin on the bottom rung of the ladder. He began in the basement. Tony's affairs were tiny; the greatest industrialists' affairs were giant. But, after all, the balance sheets were exactly the same. The only difference was where you put the decimal point.

Tony Trivisonno came to America seeking the American Dream. But he didn't find it — he created it for himself. All he had were 24 precious hours a day, and he wasted none of them.

driveway

n. 宅旁私家车道

mow

v. 修剪(草坪)，刈(草)

comprehend

vt. understand fully

lawn

n. 草地，草坪

turn away

refuse to help (sb.) or to allow (sb.) to enter a place 拒绝帮助;不让…进入

weed

v. 除去…的杂草;除草

n. 杂草，野草

assume

vt. suppose 假设;以为

compliment▲

vt. praise 赞扬

n. 赞美的言辞或行为

work out

plan; solve; calculate 制定出;解决;算出

weekly

a. happening once a week or every week 每周的;一周一次的

clean up

make clean and tidy 打扫，清除

helpful

a. giving help; useful 有帮助的;有用的

do with

(used in questions with what) 对待，处理

determination

n. 决心，决定

personnel

n. 人事部门;全体人员，全体职员

apprentice

n. 学徒

capacity

n. the ability to understand or do sth. 能力，才能

micrometer

n. 测微计，千分尺

precision

n. the quality of being exact 精密;精确(性)

turn down

refuse 拒绝

graduate

v. (使)毕业

n. (尤指大学)毕业生

skilled

a. having skill; needing skill 熟练的，有技巧的;技术性的

grinder

n. 磨工

grind (ground)

vt. 磨，磨碎，碾碎

instrument

n. 工具，器械，仪器

for sale

intended to be sold 待售

wreck

n. 残破物;(尤指失事船只、飞机等的)残骸

call on

visit (sb.) for a short time 拜访

banker

n. 银行家;银行高级职员

loan

vt. lend (sth.) 借，贷

n. 贷款;借，贷

character

n. (人的`)品德;品质;性格

damn

a.，n. (infml) (usu. used in negatives) of even the smallest amount 丝毫

reluctantly

ad. 勉强地

reluctant a.

mortgage▲

n. 抵押借款，按揭

discard

vt. (fml)throw away 抛弃

odds and ends

零星杂物，琐碎物品

screen

n. 纱门，纱窗;屏;荧屏

hardware

n. 五金器具;(计算机的)硬件

spot

n. a particular place;a small dirty mark 地点;斑点

confidence

n. 信心

amaze

vt. surprise (sb.) very much 使惊愕，使诧异

amazement

n. 惊愕，诧异

pepper

n. 辣椒;胡椒粉

Italian

a. 意大利的

diet

n. food and drink usually taken by a person or group 日常饮食

send for

ask for the arrival of 派人去叫，召唤;派人去取

hunt

v. 寻找;打猎

abandon

vt. give up completely or forever 抛弃，放弃

property

n. land, buildings or both together; sth. which is owned (房)地产;财产

shed

n. 小屋，棚

vt. 使脱落;使流出，散发出

sometime

ad. 某个时候

sponsor

vt. 为…做保证人;主办，发起

n. 保证人;主办者，发起人

amuse

vt. cause to laugh or smile; cause to spend time in a pleasant manner 逗乐;给…提供娱乐

approach

v. come near(er) to 接近

millionaire▲

n. 百万富翁

pass away

(euph) (esp. of a person) die 去世

handle

vt. manage; control 管理，处理;操纵

livable

a. fit or pleasant to live in 适于居住的

homey

a. (infml) pleasant; like home 舒适的;像家一样的

tractor

n. 拖拉机

stature

n. 身材，身高;境界

industrialist

n. 工业家，实业家

route

n. 路线，路程

principle

n. guiding rule for behavior; basic truth 信条;原则;原理

vision

n. the ability to make great plans for the future; sight; the ability to see 远见;视觉，视力

optimism▲

n. 乐观主义

self-respect

n. proper respect for oneself 自尊;自重

above all

most important of all 最重要的是

integrity▲

n. quality of being honest and responsible; state of being complete 正直;完整

rung

n. (梯子的)横档，梯级

basement▲

n. 地下室

giant

a. of great size or force 巨大的

n. 巨人

balance

n. 平衡;余额

balance sheet

资产负债表

decimal▲

小数

create

vt. produce or make (esp. sth. new) 创造，创作

Tony Trivisonno

托尼·特里韦索诺

Frederick C. Crawford

弗雷德里克·C·克罗弗德

Italy

意大利

Rome

罗马(意大利首都)

全新版大学英语综合教程第一册Unit1课文讲解

导语：约翰·列侬出生于英国利物浦，是英国摇滚乐队“披头士”成员，下面是一篇讲述他的成长经历的英语课文，欢迎大家阅读。

Listen to the recording two or three times and then think over the following questions:

1. Do you know who John Lennon was?

2. Have you ever heard the song before?

3. What does Lennon think of growing up? Is it easy or full of adventures?

4. Can you guess what the texts in this unit are going to be about?

The following words in the recording may be new to you:

monster

n. 怪物

prayer

n. 祈祷

Text

When we are writing we are often told to keep our readers in mind, to shape what we say to fit their tastes and interests. But there is one reader in particular who should not be forgotten. Can you guess who? Russell Baker surprised himself and everyone else when he discovered the answer.

WRITING FOR MYSELF

Russell Baker

The idea of becoming a writer had come to me off and on since my childhood in Belleville, but it wasn't until my third year in high school that the possibility took hold. Until then I'd been bored by everything associated with English courses. I found English grammar dull and difficult. I hated the assignments to turn out long, lifeless paragraphs that were agony for teachers to read and for me to write.

When our class was assigned to Mr. Fleagle for third-year English I anticipated another cheerless year in that most tedious of subjects. Mr. Fleagle had a reputation among students for dullness and inability to inspire. He was said to be very formal, rigid and hopelessly out of date. To me he looked to be sixty or seventy and excessively prim. He wore primly severe eyeglasses, his wavy hair was primly cut and primly combed. He wore prim suits with neckties set primly against the collar buttons of his white shirts. He had a primly pointed jaw, a primly straight nose, and a prim manner of speaking that was so correct, so gentlemanly, that he seemed a comic antique.

I prepared for an unfruitful year with Mr. Fleagle and for a long time was not disappointed. Late in the year we tackled the informal essay. Mr. Fleagle distributed a homework sheet offering us a choice of topics. None was quite so simple-minded as "What I Did on My Summer Vacation," but most seemed to be almost as dull. I took the list home and did nothing until the night before the essay was due. Lying on the sofa, I finally faced up to the unwelcome task, took the list out of my notebook, and scanned it. The topic on which my eye stopped was "The Art of Eating Spaghetti."

This title produced an extraordinary sequence of mental images. Vivid memories came flooding back of a night in Belleville when all of us were seated around the supper table — Uncle Allen, my mother, Uncle Charlie, Doris, Uncle Hal — and Aunt Pat served spaghetti for supper. Spaghetti was still a little known foreign dish in those days. Neither Doris nor I had ever eaten spaghetti, and none of the adults had enough experience to be good at it. All the good humor of Uncle Allen's house reawoke in my mind as I recalled the laughing arguments we had that night about the socially respectable method for moving spaghetti from plate to mouth.

Suddenly I wanted to write about that, about the warmth and good feeling of it, but I wanted to put it down simply for my own joy, not for Mr. Fleagle. It was a moment I wanted to recapture and hold for myself. I wanted to relive the pleasure of that evening. To write it as I wanted, however, would violate all the rules of formal composition I'd learned in school, and Mr. Fleagle would surely give it a failing grade. Never mind. I would write something else for Mr. Fleagle after I had written this thing for myself.

When I finished it the night was half gone and there was no time left to compose a proper, respectable essay for Mr. Fleagle. There was no choice next morning but to turn in my tale of the Belleville supper. Two days passed before Mr. Fleagle returned the graded papers, and he returned everyone's but mine. I was preparing myself for a command to report to Mr. Fleagle immediately after school for discipline when I saw him lift my paper from his desk and knock for the class's attention.

"Now, boys," he said. "I want to read you an essay. This is titled, 'The Art of Eating Spaghetti.'"

And he started to read. My words! He was reading my words out loud to the entire class. What's more, the entire class was listening. Listening attentively. Then somebody laughed, then the entire class was laughing, and not in contempt and ridicule, but with open-hearted enjoyment. Even Mr. Fleagle stopped two or three times to hold back a small prim smile.

I did my best to avoid showing pleasure, but what I was feeling was pure delight at this demonstration that my words had the power to make people laugh. In the eleventh grade, at the eleventh hour as it were, I had discovered a calling. It was the happiest moment of my entire school career. When Mr. Fleagle finished he put the final seal on my happiness by saying, "Now that, boys, is an essay, don't you see. It's — don't you see — it's of the very essence of the essay, don't you see. Congratulations, Mr. Baker."

off and on

from time to time; sometimes 断断续续地;有时

possibility

n. 可能(性)

take hold

become established 生根，确立

bore

vt. make (sb.) become tired and lose interest 使(人)厌烦

associate

vt. join or connect together; bring in the mind 使联系起来;使联想

assignment

n. a piece of work that is given to a particular person(分配的)工作，任务，作业

turn out

produce 编写;生产，制造

agony▲

n. very great pain or suffering of mind or body (身心的)极度痛苦

assign

vt. give as a share or duty 分配，分派

anticipate

vt. expect 预期，期望

tedious

a. boring and lasting for a long time 乏味的;冗长的

reputation

n. 名声;名誉

inability

n. lack of power, skill or ability 无能，无力

inspire

vt. fill (sb.) with confidence, eagerness, etc. 激励，鼓舞

formal

a. (too) serious and careful in manner and behavior; based on correct or accepted rules 刻板的，拘谨的;正式的，正规的

rigid

a. (often disapproving) fixed in behavior, views or methods; strict 一成不变的;严格的

hopelessly

ad. very much; without hope 十分，极度;绝望地

excessively

ad. 过分地

out of date

old-fashioned 过时的

prim

a. (usu. disapproving) (of a person) too formal or correct in behavior and showing a dislike of anything rude; neat 古板的，拘谨的;循规蹈矩的;整洁的

primly ad.

severe

a. completely plain; causing very great pain, difficulty, worry, etc. 朴素的;严重的.，剧烈的

necktie

n. tie 领带

jaw

n. 颌，颚

comic▲

a. 滑稽的;喜剧的

n. 连环漫画(册)

antique

n. 古物，古玩

tackle

vt. try to deal with 处理，应付

essay

n. 散文，小品文;论说文

distribute

vt. divide and give out among people, places, etc. 分发，分配，分送

finally

ad. at last 最终，终于

face up to

be brave enough to accept or deal with 勇敢地接受或对付

scan

v. look through quickly 浏览，粗略地看

spaghetti

n. 意大利式细面条

title

n. a name given to a book, film, etc. 标题，题目

vt. give a name to 给…加标题，加题目于

extraordinary

a. very unusual or strange 不同寻常的;奇特的

sequence

n. 一连串相关的事物;次序，顺序

image

n. a picture formed in the mind 形象;印象;(图)像

adult

n. a fully grown person or animal 成年人;成年动物

humor

n. 心情;幽默，诙谐

recall

vt. bring back to the mind; remember 回想起，回忆起

argument

n. 论据，论点;争论

respectable

a. (of behavior, appearance, etc.) socially acceptable 可敬的;体面的;文雅的

put down

write down 写下

recapture

vt. (lit) bring back into the mind; experience again 再现;再次经历

relive

vt. experience again, esp. in one's imagination 再体验，重温

violate

vt. act against 违背，违反

compose

vt. write or create (music, poetry, etc.) 创作

turn in

hand in (work that one has done) 交(作业)

command

n.,v.命令，指令

discipline

n. punishment; order kept (among school-children, soldiers, etc.) 惩罚，处分;纪律

what's more

in addition, more importantly 而且，此外;更有甚者

contempt▲

n. 轻视，轻蔑

ridicule

n. making or being made fun of 嘲笑，嘲弄;被戏弄

open-hearted

a. sincere, frank 诚挚的

hold back

prevent the expression of (feelings, tears, etc.) 控制(感情、眼泪等)

avoid

vt. keep or get away from 避免

demonstration

n. act of showing or proving sth. 表明;证明

career

n. 生涯，事业;职业

seal

n. 印，图章

essence▲

n. the most important quality of a thing 本质;精髓

congratulation

n. (usu. pl) expression of joy for sb.'s success, luck, etc. 祝贺，恭喜

Russell Baker

拉赛尔·贝克

Belleville

贝尔维尔(美国地名)

Fleagle

弗利格尔(姓氏)

Allen

艾伦(男子名)

Charlie

查理(男子名)

Doris

多丽丝(女子名)

Hal

哈尔(男子名，Henry, Harold的昵称)

Pat

帕特(女子名，Patricia的昵称)