选修8unit3词汇讲解

Unit 3Inventors and inventions

KEY WORDS AND PHRASES

1．call up给……打电话；使想起；回忆

When I called up my mother in the countryside on the telephone she was very upset. (教材P20)

当我打电话给乡下的母亲时，她显得焦躁不安。

call back召唤某人回来；再访；回电话call for需要；要求；接(人或物)

call in邀请；请来call on拜访(人)；号召

call in on简短拜访call at拜访(某地) call off取消

The government calls on the youth to donate their blood voluntarily.政府号召青年义务献血。

He is ill；you should call in the doctor right away.他病了，你应该立即请大夫来。2．now and then偶尔；有时(＝sometimes，but not often)

Snakes come near the house now and then，and they seem to have made their home here，not far from the walnut tree.(教材P20)蛇时不时地爬到屋边来，可见这几条蛇似乎是在胡桃树附近安家了。

We haven't seen each other for years，but we chat online now and then.我们已有多年未见过面了；但是我们有时会上网聊一聊。

表示“有时、偶尔”的词语有：

(every) now and again from time to time at times once in a while

occasionally a little now and a little then

【提示】from time to time强调经常性；now and then等强调间歇性。3．Here was a chance for me to distinguish myself by inventing something merciful that would catch snakes but not harm them.(教材P20)

这回我有机会来表现一下自己，我要发明某种仁慈的东西，既可以把蛇抓住又不会伤害到它们。

(1)distinguish vt.& vi.显出……的差别；使……有所不同；辨别

People who can not distinguish between colours are said to be colour-blind.不能辨别颜色的人称为色盲

①distinguish oneself (as) (作为……)表现突出；使自己与众不同；使自己成名distinguish between...and...区分/辨别……和……

distinguish...from...使……有别于……；使……具有区别于……的特征

distinguish...by...以……为特征

②distinguished adj.卓越的；杰出的；著名的③distinguishable adj.可区别的

④distinction n．区别

(2)merciful adj.宽大的；仁慈的

They asked him to be merciful to the prisoners. 他们要求他对犯人要以慈悲为怀。

①mercy n．仁慈，宽容

show/have mercy to sb.对某人仁慈show no mercy to sb.对某人无情

at the mercy of任由……摆布，在……掌握中It's a mercy...[口语]……真是幸运！

②mercifully幸运地；宽大地

They were lost at sea at the mercy of wind and weather.他们在海上迷失，任由大风和天气摆布。

It's a mercy that the accident happened so near the hospital.幸亏事故发生在离医院很近

的地方。

4．The first thing I did was to see if there were any products that might help me，

but_there_only_seemed_to_be powders designed to kill snakes.(教材P20)

我所做的第一件事就是看有没有什么产品能帮助我。但是，似乎只有用来毒死蛇的药粉能用。

(1)there seemed to be是there be句型的变体，表示“似乎有……”。there be句型中的be 有时还可以换成其他表示“有，存在”的词，如：live，stand，lie，remain，appear，seem to be，come等。there be结构是一个看似简单但命题空间很大的知识点。

【提示】在“there be...”句型中，be动词前可以加can，may，must，ought to，used to，happen to，seem to，appear to等情态动词或动词短语。

There happened to be no one in the room. 碰巧房间里没有人。

5．set about开始；着手(about是介词，其后常接名词或动名词)

I set about researching the habits of snakes to find the easiest way to trap them.(教材P20)

我着手研究蛇的习性，以便能找到捕蛇的最简易的方法。

She set about the business of cleaning the house. 她动手打扫起房子来。

After the earthquake，the people set about rebuilding their homes.地震过后，人们开始重建家园。

set out 出发，启程；开始set off 出发；动身be set in 以……为背景

set back 阻碍某事物发展；把(钟表指针)往回拨set aside 留出；对……不予考虑

set down 记下；写下set up 树立(榜样)；设立；创立set free 释放；使……获得自由【对接高考】(2012·浙江)Armed with the information you have gathered，you can________preparing your business plan.

A．set out B．set about C．set off D．set up

6．They abruptly disappeared into a convenient hole in the wall.(教材P20)

它们一下子就消失在墙壁附近的洞里了。

(1)abruptly adv.突然地，意外地；唐突地

The train stopped abruptly，nearly tipping me out of my bunk.火车突然停住，我差点儿从床位上摔下来。

abrupt adj.突然的，意外的；粗鲁的，唐突的，生硬的

an abrupt turn 急转弯in an abrupt manner 无礼的态度an abrupt change 突然改变(2)convenient adj.方便的；适宜的；合适的；在近处的；近便的

Will it be convenient for you to start work tomorrow

你明天开始工作方便吗

Our house is convenient for the shops.

我们家到商店很方便。

①It is convenient (for sb.) to do sth.(某人)干某事是方便的

convenient (for sb.) 某事(对某人来说)是方便的

if/when it is convenient to sb. 如果某人方便的话

②convenience n．方便，便利at one's convenience 在某人方便时

It is very convenient to pay by credit card.

用信用卡付款非常方便。

Can you telephone me at your convenience to arrange a meeting

你能不能在你方便时给我来个电话，安排见一次面