Unit 1 : Part ASecrets of A Students

Text-related Information Introduction Study hard or hardly study? Some students play football, act in plays, play tennis and engage in many other activities, but they still get A’s in their studies. However, there are some other

students who study hard enough but do not achieve as much. Why? Is it simply that those A students have better brains? Educational specialists do not think so. They suggest that to succeed in the studies, one should apply a few “techniques”. These techniques are the secrets of A students. If you make use of them, you can be an A student, too.

Grading System Schools, colleges and universities in Great

Britain and the United States commonly use letter grades to indicate the quality of a student’s academic performance: A (excellent), B (good), C (average), D (below average), and F (failing). In the United States, work rated C or above is usually required of an undergraduate student to continue his/her studies; work rated B

or higher is usually required of a graduate student to continue. In percentage scales, 100 percent is the highest mark, and 70 percent (or 65 percent) is usually the lowest passing mark.

Students at universities

A university student who has not yet taken his or her first, or “bachelor’s” degree is an undergraduate. In the United States, a first-year student at a college or university, and in a high school as well, is called a freshman, a second-year student a sophomore, and a third-year student a junior, and a fourth-year student a senior.

Brains: intelligence or the ability to learn and understand things quickly, to solve problems and to make good decisions.

ParaphraseIntelligence is not the only answer./ Being

smart and quick in learning is not the only answer.

Necessarily: in every case

The fact that something is cheap does not necessarily mean it is of low quality.

Perform: do (a job); complete (a task)

Computers can perform many different tasks.

Perform well/badly/poorly: work well/badly/poorly

make the most ofmake the most of—— to use or enjoy to the greatest to use or enjoy to the greatest advantage; to use in advantage; to use in the best waythe best wayTranslateTranslate 汤姆打算充分利用学校图书馆完成他的学汤姆打算充分利用学校图书馆完成他的学期论文。期论文。

Tom intends to Tom intends to make the most ofmake the most of the university the university library for his term paper.library for his term paper.

count for much/little/nothingcount for much/little/nothing—— to be of much/little/no worthto be of much/little/no worth or or importanceimportance

TranslateTranslate A man with no sense of responsibility A man with no sense of responsibility

does not does not count for anythingcount for anything..

KeyKey 没有责任心的人起不了什么作用。没有责任心的人起不了什么作用。

Hard work isn’t the whole story either.

Paraphrase

Hard work is not enough to explain everything either.

It is true that I do not like my boss, but that is not the whole story/ only part of the story. I quit because I have found a better job.

put input in—— to spend, pass (a specified amount of to spend, pass (a specified amount of time, etc.)time, etc.)Cf.Cf.put awayput away—— to put in the usual place of storage, put or to put in the usual place of storage, put or

store (sth.) store (sth.) in its proper placein its proper place

e.g.e.g. … … most students close their books, most students close their books,

put awayput away papers, papers, talk to friends and get talk to friends and get ready to leave. ready to leave. (Line 71, Para. 9)(Line 71, Para. 9)

It’s going to rain: we’d better It’s going to rain: we’d better put awayput away our picnic our picnic things and go indoors.things and go indoors.

Concentrate: direct all one’s attention towards sth.

Sally tried to concentrate on her studies in spite of the noise.

Once the books are open, …newspapers unread.

Paraphrase: Once they open their books, they would not

answer phone calls nor watch TV or read newspapers.

Focus: direct one’s attention on sth.

Today’s topic focused on Chinese festivals.

Focus can also mean “adjust a lens, or the eyes, so that the image that passes through them is sharp and clear.”

The photographer focused the lens and then took the picture.

athleteathlete—— sb. who is good at sports, esp. those sb. who is good at sports, esp. those for competitionfor competition

Athlete is a person who is skilled in bodily exercises and who competes in games that need strength and speed, such as running and jumping.

Sportsman is keen on, or good at, sports.Player is a person who plays in a ballgame,

often professionally.

DrillDrill1.1. Michael Jordan is believed to be the best Michael Jordan is believed to be the best

basketball _____.basketball _____.

2. It was quite a view when the _____ from all over 2. It was quite a view when the _____ from all over the world marched onto the sports ground.the world marched onto the sports ground.

3. Mr. Smith is a keen ______ and enjoys all kinds of 3. Mr. Smith is a keen ______ and enjoys all kinds of outdoor activities.outdoor activities.

Stick: attach (sth) to (sth else) or on (a surface)

Susan stuck an important message on the bulletin board.

while while conj.conj.—— during the time thatduring the time that

Cf.Cf. 1.1. during the time thatduring the time that e.g.e.g. Strike Strike whilewhile the iron is hot. the iron is hot. 2.2. althoughalthough e.g.e.g. WhileWhile the grandpa loves the children, the grandpa loves the children,

he is strict he is strict with themwith them 3.3. whereas; andwhereas; and e.g.e.g. Web companies are hot, Web companies are hot, whilewhile most of most of

them are them are in red.in red.

get one’s hand onget one’s hand on—— to get hold of (sth. or sb.); to seizeto get hold of (sth. or sb.); to seize

TranslateTranslate 1.1. 在那些年月里，她读了所有在那些年月里，她读了所有能够到手能够到手的书的书。。 In those years, she read everything she couldIn those years, she read everything she could get get

her hands onher hands on..

22.. The hungry boy ate up everything he could The hungry boy ate up everything he could get his get his hands onhands on from the refrigerator. from the refrigerator. 饥饿的男孩把从冰箱里饥饿的男孩把从冰箱里拿到的拿到的所有东西都吃光了。所有东西都吃光了。

cut down on cut down on —— to reduceto reduce

TranslateTranslate 医生敦促病人医生敦促病人减少减少抽烟和饮酒。抽烟和饮酒。KeyKey The doctor urged the patient to The doctor urged the patient to cut down oncut down on

smoking and drinking.smoking and drinking.

setset vv..—— to assign, put forward or arrange as to assign, put forward or arrange as (material to be dealt with)(material to be dealt with)

CfCf..— — adjadj. fixed or established by agreement. fixed or established by agreement e.g.e.g. The order to cancel launching the space shuttle The order to cancel launching the space shuttle

came only 5 seconds before the came only 5 seconds before the setset time. time. Please follow the Please follow the setset procedures for the procedures for the

application of the scholarship.application of the scholarship.

write upwrite up—— write (again) in a neat and complete write (again) in a neat and complete formform

Cf.Cf. write offwrite off —— to cancel from accounts as a lossto cancel from accounts as a loss

e.g.e.g. The industrial nations are reluctant to The industrial nations are reluctant to write offwrite off the debts of the underdeveloped the debts of the underdeveloped countries.countries.

Meet the deadline: finish the task before the date or time it must be finished

There is no way I can meet the deadline.

stick tostick to—— keep to, refuse to leave or changekeep to, refuse to leave or change

TranslateTranslate 作出了许诺，你就应该作出了许诺，你就应该信守信守。。KeyKey If you make a promise, you should If you make a promise, you should stick stick

toto it. it.

work/do wonderswork/do wonders —— bring unexpectedly good resultsbring unexpectedly good results

e.g.e.g.A few words of encouragement can A few words of encouragement can work work

wonderswonders in her when she is not very in her when she is not very confident.confident.

The scientist tried the new approach in the The scientist tried the new approach in the experiment, and to his amazement, it experiment, and to his amazement, it worked wondersworked wonders!!

Doctors have discovered that keeping a Doctors have discovered that keeping a pet can pet can do wondersdo wonders for one’s health. for one’s health.

lead tolead to—— have as a result, cause something to have as a result, cause something to happen or existhappen or existTranslateTranslate Active reading, according to education Active reading, according to education

experts, will experts, will lead tolead to a better understanding of a better understanding of what is being read.what is being read.

KeyKey 教育专家认为积极阅读会教育专家认为积极阅读会导致导致对阅读材料对阅读材料更好的理解。更好的理解。

approachapproach n.n.—— method of doing something or method of doing something or dealing with a problemdealing with a problem Cf.Cf. v.v. 1)1) to come or go near or nearer (to), as in to come or go near or nearer (to), as in

space space or timeor time e.g.e.g. As graduation day As graduation day approachedapproached, ,

excitement increased.excitement increased. 2.2. to come close to, as in quality, appearance, to come close to, as in quality, appearance,

or or conditioncondition e.g.e.g. The performance The performance approachesapproaches

perfection.perfection.

after allafter all1) it should be remembered that1) it should be remembered that （要知道）（要知道）2) in spite of everything2) in spite of everything （毕竟，终究，还是）（毕竟，终究，还是）TranslateTranslate 我知道工作很辛苦，不过你的报酬我知道工作很辛苦，不过你的报酬毕竟毕竟也不也不低。低。

KeyKey I know the work is hard, but you are highly I know the work is hard, but you are highly

paid paid after allafter all..