Unit 6 ( Book 2)

1. Unit 6(Book 2) I’m Going to Buy the Brooklyn Bridge

2. Think about it • What does the author’s friend mean by buying the Brooklyn bridge? • Why does the author say “it was a wise investment” to buy her own version of the bridge?

3. Language Points bide one’s time: wait patiently for a chance eg: Refused work as an actor, Tom turned to other work and bided his time. Jack was hurt deeply and he bided his time for revenge.

4. lap: 1) the flat area formed by your thighs when you are sitting down eg: She waited quietly with her hands in her lap. Sitting on her mother's lap, the little girl was very quiet. 2) a part of a long journey, between two points where you stop eg: I had thought we might travel as far as Oak Valley, but we only managed the first lap of the journey. The first lap of our trip is from New York City to Boston.

5. get/achieve one’s heart’s desire : get sth. you want very much eg: She had got her heart’s desire, and was working as a nurse. We hope that he may have his heart’s desire.

6. take in : deceive, cheat, fool eg:The teacher was taken in by the boy’s innocent manner. He is a clever talker– and good at taking people in. I don’t allow myself to be taken in by sales advertisement.

7. a piece of cake : sth. easy to do eg: He thought the first quiz was a piece of cake. To her, translating from French to Dutch is a piece of cake.

8. reproach: criticize (sb.) for failing to do sth. (used in the pattern: reproach sb.for sth.) eg: She loved her boyfriend so much that she didn't reproach him for breaking his promise. He reproached himself constantly for not having visited his sick mother before she died.

9. can’t eat one’s cake and have it: eg: You spend all your money on beer and then complain about being poor,but you can’t expect to have your cake and eat it too, you know. Roger can’t make up his mind whether to go to college or get a job. You can’t eat your cake and have it too.

10. strike/hit home: eg: The government’s message about the dangers of smoking seems to have hit home. The laser guidance system dramatically increases the likelihood that the missile will strike home.

11. harmony: 1) pleasant combination of different notes of music played at the same time eg: We appreciated very much the composer's beautiful harmonies in the last movement. The kids are singing in harmony. 2) a state or condition of agreement, cooperation eg: They argued against the notion that man should dominate nature rather than live in harmony with it. Since they moved to this community they have lived in harmony with their neighbors.

12. by nature : as a result of inborn or inherent qualities; innately eg: He is by nature rather an aggressive person. I am not by nature a violent man, but these insults were more than I could bear.

13. set aside: put (time or money) away for a special purpose eg: She set aside the things in the old trunk which she wanted to keep. I have a little money set aside for emergencies. My husband set aside half an hour every morning to do sports.

14. move on to: stop doing one thing and begin dealing with the next eg: She ran this shop for ten years before deciding to move on to the real estate business. We're about to move on to the second stage of the project. Moving on to the question of the concert, we still need volunteers to sell tickets.

15. investment: putting money in sth. (followed by in) eg: More and more people have the desire to buy a house as an investment. Buying shares in blue-chip (优良股)companies is always a sound investment. Total foreign investment in America still constitutes only a small portion of US assets.

16. at intervals: with some time or distance between eg: She brought us coffee at intervals. There are houses at intervals along the road. The trees were planted beside the road at 50 feet intervals.

17. Cultural Notes • The Brooklyn Bridge the bridge over the East River in New York City that connects Manhattan with Brooklyn. It was opened in 1883 and has a length of 1595 feet(486 meters). It is the world‘s first steel suspension bridge,(吊桥) built some 120 years ago, remains a fascinating must-do attraction for city residents and tourists alike. Few walks offer a more dramatic view of the skyline,(空中轮廓) of boats gliding across the East River, the Statue of Liberty in the distant harbor, or the skyline of lower Manhattan.

18. Midway across the Bridge, you'll find historic markers and detailed information about the bridge as well as some great photo opportunities. On the Brooklyn side of the bridge at the Fulton Ferry Landing, enjoy a walk along the waterfront or one of the nearby restaurants. On the Manhattan side, City Hall is just across the street. The expression selling the Brooklyn Bridge to somebody means tricking them in a deal.

19. Cultural Notes • feminism movement for the political, social, and educational equality of women with men; the movement has occurred mainly in Europe and the United States. It has its roots in the humanism of the 18th cent. and in the Industrial Revolution. Feminist issues range from access to employment, education, child care, contraception,(避孕) and abortion,(流产) to equality in the workplace, changing family roles, redress(补偿) for sexual harassment (性骚扰)in the workplace, and the need for equal political representation.

20. Feminism has brought about many changes in the English language. Many words for job titles that included “man” have been replaced, for example “police officer” is used instead of “policeman” and “chairperson” for “chairman”. “He” is now rarely used to refer to a person when the person could be either a man or a woman. The title “Ms” is used for women instead of “Miss” or “Mrs”, since it does not show whether a woman is married or not.