Unit Two SHOPPING

Section A

TEXT

Five Pounds too Dear

Small boats loaded with wares sped to the great liner as she was entering the harbour. Before she had anchored, the men from the boats had climbed on board and the decks were soon covered with colourful rugs from Persia, silks from India, copper coffee pots, and beautiful handmade silverware. It was difficult not to be tempted. Many of the tourists on board had begun bargaining with the tradesmen, but I decided not to buy anything until I had disembarked.

I had no sooner got off the ship than I was assailed by a man who wanted to sell me a diamond ring. I had no intention of buying one, but I could not conceal the fact that I was impressed by the size of the diamonds. Some of them were as big as marbles. The man went to great lengths to prove that the diamonds were real. As we were walking past a shop, he held a diamond firmly against the window and made a deep impression in the glass. It took me over half an hour to get rid of him.

The next man to approach me was selling expensive pens and watches. I examined one of the pens closely. It certainly looked genuine. At the base of the gold cap, the words ‘made in the U.S.A’ had been nearly inscribed. The man said that the pen was worth ￡50, but as a special favour, he would let me have it for ￡30. I shook my head and held up five fingers indicating that I was willing to pay ￡5. Gesticulating wildly, the man acted as if he found my offer outrageous, but he eventually reduced the price to ￡10. Shrugging my shoulders, I began to walk away when, a moment later, he ran after me and thrust the pen into my hands. Though he kept throwing up his arms in despair, he readily accepted the ￡5 I gave him. I felt especially pleased with my wonderful bargain until I got back to the ship. No matter how hard I tried, it was impossible to fill this beautiful pen with ink and to this day it has never written a single word!

QUESTIONS

1.Why was even five pounds “too dear”?

2.What happened as the great liner was entering the harbour?

3.Why was the writer impressed by the size of the diamonds?

4.What did the diamond seller do to prove that his diamonds were real?

NEW WORDS

wares [w43z] n. 货物，商品

anchor [∋59k3] v. 停航下锚

deck [dek] n. 甲板

pot [p6t] n. 陶罐；锅

silverware [∋silv3we3] n. 银器

tempt [tempt] v. 吸引；引诱

bargain [∋b1:γin] v. 讨价还价

disembark [;disim∋b1:k] v. 下船上岸

assail [3∋seil] v. 纠缠

marble [∋m1:bl] n. 小玻璃球

inscribe [in∋skraib] v. 刻写，雕

favour ['feiv3] n. 好处，优惠

gesticulate [d=es'tikjuleit]v. （讲话时）打手势

outrageous [aut'reid=3s] a. 出人预料的；残暴的

thrust [0r2st] v. 硬塞给；推

PHRASES&EXPRESSIONS

bargain with 讨价

no sooner…than… 一……就……

go to great lengths 尽力

in despair 绝望

Persia 波斯（西南亚国家，现在的伊朗）

PROPER NAME

NOTES TO THE TEXT

1.I had no sooner got off the ship than I was assailed… 我刚刚一下船就被纠缠住了。no sooner…than… 一……就……，含义与用法同hardly...when

I had no sooner reached home than it began to rain. 我一到家，就下起雨来。

2.go to great lengths to do sth 竭力做某事

This champion marathon runner is going to great lengths to help needy children. 这个马拉松冠军尽己所能去帮助贫困儿童。

3.get rid of 摆脱

We would not want to get rid of friction entirely even if we could get rid of it. 即使我们能摆脱摩擦，我们也不想完全摆脱它。

4.as a special favour 作为一种特殊的优惠

The man said that the pen was worth 50 pounds, but as a special favour, he would let me have it for 30 pounds. 那人说那支笔值50英镑，作为特别优惠，他愿意让我出30英镑买下。

5.throw up his arms in despair 绝望地举起双手

throw up 抛起；举起

She threw up her arms in horror. 她惊恐地向上举起手臂。

EXERCISES

Vocabulary Exercises

Choose the best answer which is similar to the following underlined word .

1.As soon as the young man returned home, his parents assailed him with questions about the examination.

A) pounded

B) tested

C) attacked

D) queried

2.The baker traveled round the town selling his wares.

A) glasses

B) manual

C) cases

D) vessel.

3.When the musician finished his performance, the audiences applauded（拍手喝彩）with genuine enthusiasm.

A) fictional

B) heart-whole

C) reliable

D) factual（事实的）

4.Jew was subjected to outrageous cruelty in Zazi concentration camp（纳粹党集中营）.

A) cruel

B) intolerable

C) shocking

D) bearable

5.The thrust was successful and reached the enemy’s headquarters.

A) knock

B) attack

C) rush

D) beat

6.We refused the offer even though it tempted us.

A) worried

B) tested

C) drew in

D) explored

7.As a special favor, I will let you stay up late tonight.

A) expect

B) respect

C) blessing

D) kindness

8.I ask him for a job under the impression that he was the head of the firm, but he wasn’t.

A) feeling

B) memory

C) printing

D) trail

9.The story of Adam and Eve was inscribed on the door of the Cathedral（大教堂）.

A) listed

B) remembered

C) engraved

D) written

10.Something was disagreed with him, George suddenly began to throw up all over the place.

A) make up

B) give up

C) sick up

D)bring up

Phrase Exercises

Choose the answer that best completes the following sentences.

1.The city council（理事会）_________ the party _________ taxes.

A) loaded, in

B) loaded, on

C) loaded, with

D) loaded, up

2.She _________ the trader till he sold her the fruit cheaply.

A) bargained away

B) bargained on

C) bargained for

D) bargained with

3.The absent-minded girl forgot to ______at Cheng Xiang street and was taken on to Yuhua street.

A) get in

B) get out of

C) get down

D) get off

4.Sun had _________ started to shine, _________ it was clouded over again.

A) no sooner, than

B) sooner, than

C) the sooner, the better

D) would sooner, than

5.This large company has __________ some small ones.

A) handed over

B) taken over

C) eaten up

D) used up

6.His son was __________ as a model of hard work.

A) held up

B) raised up

C) hold to

D) kept up

7.Instead of devoting himself to his studies, he wastes his time _______ girls.

A) run after

B) to run after

C) running for

D) running after

8.The smell of the drain is enough to make one __________.

A) throw over

B) throw up

C) bring up

D) put up

9.Our hostess _________ make sure we are comfortable.

A) went to the length of

B) went great length to

C) launch on

D) cast about for

10.“You are supposed to _________ carelessness, for it often leads to errors.”

A) die out

B) die away

C) get rid of

D) get rid off

Translation

Translate the following sentences into English.

1.嘉利妹妹被城里众多的人群和繁忙的交通弄得晕头转向。

2.理论依赖实践反过来又为实践服务。

3.那个人继而又谈起了世界形势。

4.我受不了办公室里没完没了的嘈杂声。

5.如果你们在同一个办公室工作，总免不了见面。