新标准大学英语综合教程3 6-10单元 课后答案

Active reading (1)

Last man down: the fireman’s story

Language points

1 Last man down: the fireman’s story (Title)

The expression last man down, similar to last man standing, refers to the survivor or winner. The last

man down from the tower before it collapsed would be one of the bravest.

2 There were about two dozen of us by the bank of elevators ... (Para 2)

A bank of elevators means a set of lifts.

3 Some had their turnout coats off, or tied around their waists. (Para 2) Turnout coats are the uniform firefighters wear when they turn out for a fire.

4 Others were raring to go. (Para 2)

The expression raring to go is an old form of rearing up, and means being eager to go like a horse.

5 All of us were taking a beat to catch our breaths, and our bearings, figure out what the hell was

going on. (Para 2)

To take a beat means to rest for a moment.

A bearing is an exact compass reading measured in degrees. To take your bearings is to find where you

are. Here it means both physically and mentally.

6 We’d been at this thing, hard, for almost an hour, some a little bit less, and we were nowhere close

to done. (Para 2)

To be at this thing is a slang expression which means to work on this mission. The expression nowhere close to done means someone is far from completing their

work.

7 Of course, we had no idea what there was left to do, but we hadn’t made a dent. (Para 2)

A dent is a mark on a piece of metal as when you bump your car. To make a dent in something is to have

an effect on it (imagine beating a piece of hard steel and not making any mark on it). To make a dent here

means to achieve something. The firefighters had hardly begun their work.

8 As if we could see clear through the ceiling tiles for an easy answer. (Para 3)

Looking up for the source of the noise was only useful if you could see through the floors above, but it

still remained an instinctive reaction.

9 The building was shaking like in an earthquake, like an amusement park thrill ride gone berserk …

(Para 3)

The word berserk was originally about ancient Viking warriors who worshipped a bear god (ber). They

would go into a terrible rage or madness when fighting. It now means utterly and dangerously crazy.

10 The way it coursed right through me. (Para 3)

To course means to run or flow somewhere quickly. The noise and vibration have a strong physical effect

on the writer.

11 I thought about my wife and my kids, but only fleetingly and not in any kind of life-flashing-beforemy-

eyes sort of way. (Para 4)