选修8 UNIT3 词汇讲解

Unit 3 Inventors 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 colour­blind.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