本单元重难点的讲解
1. It has often been said that life is difficult as it is.
人们常说现实生活已经够艰难的了。
①“It is said that …”是常见的句型，意思是“据说，人们说”再如：
It is said that the population of males is larger than that of females in China. 据说中国男性人口高于女性人口。
It is said that he has gone abroad. 据说他已出国了。
这种句型其实是“People say that …”的被动语态。类似结构还有：It is thought that…；It is reported that …；It is believed that …；It is hoped that…等。
②as it is 也是固定的结构，解释“根据现在情况看；就以现在样子”，常用于句子开头或结尾。例如：
I thought things would get better, but as it is they are getting worse.
我原以为情况会好转，但照现在的样子看，只会更糟。
2. For women it sometimes seems twice as difficult.
对妇女来说，有时生活似乎是难上加难。
该句相当于For women life sometimes seems twice as difficult as it is.
倍数的表达法可以有以下几种表示：
The room is twice bigger than mine.
The room is twice as big as mine.
The room is twice the size of mine.
注意：倍数词总是位于第一as前，并且第二个as在上下文意义明确的情况下可省略。
例句：The house rent is expensive. I’ve got about half the space I had at home and I’m paying ______ here.
A. as three times much B. as much three times
C. much as three times D. three times as much
分析：本句为as…as 比较结构，much后省略了as I paid at home.
表示：“我现在所付竟然是原来的三倍”，three times 应放在as much 之前。故选D。
3．Do you know a woman who really inspires you?
你认识一位真正感动你的女士吗？
inspire为及物动词，意为“鼓舞、感动”。如：
We’re trying to inspire him with confidence. 我们在努力鼓舞他的自信心。
inspiring 鼓舞人的，感动人的，是一个形容词，例如：
We regard Abraham Lincoln as an inspiring leader.
我们认为亚伯罕姆林肯是一位有感召力的领袖。
4．What has become of her ?她发生了什么变化？
become of解释“发生……情况；……怎么啦！”相当于happen to …
What will become of the children now that the parents are dead?
父母死了，孩子们会怎么样啦？
I don’t know what has become of him. 我不知道他的遭遇如何。
5．What kind of people do you think they are?
你认为他们是什么类型的人？
①kind着重指由于具有共同兴趣或特征而在一起的人，动物或物体。
如：Tom is the kind of person who likes outdoor games.
汤姆是那种喜欢户外游戏的人。
This is the kind of room that I feel at home in.
这种房间我感到没有拘束。
②本句为常do you think的特殊疑问句用法，其语序为“疑问词+do you think+疑问句的其他部分（陈述语序）”。如：
Who do you think has taken his wallet?
你认为谁拿了他的钱包？
What do you think I have bought for you?
你猜我为你买来了什么？
可以这样用的动词还有suppose, guess, believe, imagine, expect.
6．What else, but a journey at the opposite end of the world, Antarctica?
除了去世界另一头南极洲旅行，还会干什么呢？
①这是一句省略句，完整的结构是：What else would I do but a journey at the opposite end of the world, Antarctica?句中的but是介词，意为“除了……”，相当于except，常与不定代词、疑问代词等连用。例如：
In winter, bears can do nothing but lie down and sleep.
在冬天，熊只能躺下睡觉。
②else是个形容词，意为“其他的，别的”，不作前置定语，只能用在疑问词where, what, which, who等或不定代词something, anything等后，表示追加说明。如：
Is there anything else you want to say? 你还有什么要说的话吗？
Where else did you go besides Beijing?除了北京，你还到过哪？ else的所有格是else’s, 如：
Who else’s advice do you want to take? 你想听谁的劝告？
I’ll have to borrow someone else’s car. 我得借别人的车。
7．Another journey of challenge and danger was about to begin.
又一次具有危险和挑战的旅行即将开始。
①介词短语作定语时，句子的谓语动词应根据被其修饰的前面的中心词来决定。
②be about to do即将发生的动作或动作刚要开始。如：
The teacher is about to write down the new words.
注意：be about to do 不与表示时间的副词或其他时间状语连用，但可以用在be about to do when…结构中，如：
I was about to leave when the telephone began to ring.
8．But changes were just around the corner.天气即将要变了。
just around the corner意为“Likely to happen soon（即将来临）”，再如：Victory was just around the corner. 胜利即将在眼前。
A big storm was just around the corner.
一场大风暴即将来临。
9．On the third day I was struggling through stormy weather and during the next week the wind grew stronger and I found myself spending a day in my tent.
第三天我在风暴中挣扎，。第二周风刮得更猛了我发现自己终日在帐蓬里。
①struggle在这里为“挣扎”的意思。如：
Seeing a girl struggling in the river, he jumped into the water to save her.
看到一个女孩在河挣扎，他跳进水中去救她。
②find oneself ……的意思是“发现自己（处于某种状态）；不知不觉地…”例如：
When day broke, we found ourselves in a village at the foot of the mountain.
天亮时，我们发现自己来到了那座山脚下的一个村子里。
Suddenly I found myself at the water’s edge.
我忽然发现自己站在水边了。
Then I found myself surrounded by half a dozen boys.
然后我突然发现六个男孩围着自己。
10．I had traveled only two hours one day when the winds increased so much that I had to put my tent up before the wind became too strong.
一天，我刚走了两个小时，突然狂风大作，我只好趁风力还不算太大之前，支起帐蓬。
①when 表示过早发生某事（常可译为“还没（刚刚）……就”）。例如：
I had hardly opened the door when the dog barked.
我还没把门打开，狗就叫了起来。
The students hadn’t played football long when the bell rang.
学生们足球没踢一会儿，铃就响了。
when还表示突然发生某事（常译为“……正在……忽然”）。例如：
A few days later, I was moving forward over a slope that seemed safe when suddenly without warning my world dropped out from under my skis.
几天以后，我正在一个似乎安全的斜坡上前行，突然，毫不预兆，滑雪板下的大地陷下去了。
from常与另一个介词短语连用。如：
The moon appeared from behind the clouds. 月亮从云层后面露出了脸。
A rat ran out from under the bed. 一只老鼠从床底下跑了出来。
He swam from across the river. 他从河那边游了过来。
②put up 作“举起，抬起，搭起盖房子”讲。例如：
They are putting up several new houses on our street.
我们这条街上正在盖几栋新房子。
Put up your hands if you have any questions.
有问题请举手。
11．I had fallen into a hole and was hanging on the ropes tied to the sled.
我掉进了洞，挂在绑着雪撬的绳子上。
①hang作“悬挂着，吊着”，强调某一地点存在某一状态时（用进行时描写的情景更生动），为不及物动词，一般用主动语态。
例句：-Is this raincoat yours?
-No, mine - there behind the door.
A. is hanging B. has hung C. hangs D. hung
分析：由问句可知，强调“在门后挂着呢”现在这一暂时的情景，而非长期的状态，用现在进行时比一般现在时更有色彩、生动，故选A
②the ropes tied to the sled= the ropes which were tied to the sled.
12. I was in good health and all of my equipment was working well.
我身体很好，而且我所有的设备工作正常。
①be in good health是个有用短语，意为“身体状况良好”
be in bad/poor health身体状况不好。
②equipment为不可数名词，如：
This is a factory with modern equipment.
这是一家装备有现代化设备的工厂。
13．I thawed a frozen cake over my fire, placed a candle on the top , lit it and sany “happy birthday to me” at the top of my voice.
我在火上融了一个冻蛋糕，顶上插上一支蜡烛，点燃并大声高唱“祝我生日快乐”。
①thaw意为“融化、解冻”如：
He made a fire to thaw out the frozen earth.
他生起了火去融化冻土。
The ground has thawed out.地面解冻了。
②light 作为及物动词，意为“点燃”，如：
He stopped to light a cigar. 他停下来去点一支烟。
注意：light的过去式和过去分词形式有两种lighted和lit，只有lighted可以作形容词，意为“点燃的”，如：
She put a lighted candle on the top of the cake.
她在蛋糕上插上了一支点燃的蜡烛。
③at the top of one’s voice高声喊叫，大声地
14．Wait to get better or give up?
我该等着身体好起来还是放弃？
完整的句子应该是Should I wait to get better or should I give up?
①get better是get well的比较级形式，表示身体状况有所好转。
②give up作及物动词时可接动名词，作宾语意为“放弃”如：
We’ll try to persuade him into giving up smoking.
我们要设法说服他戒烟。
The young man gave up his seat to an old man.
那年青人将座位让给一位老大爷。
15．I couldn’t stand on my left leg and my head was woozy from hitting the ground.
我的左腿不能站，我头撞到地上，脑昏眼花。
①stand on的意思是“用……站立”。例如：
stand on one’s head 倒立
stand on one leg like a cock金鸡独立
②from可以表示原因，作“因为……；由于……；成为的结果”解。例如
They do something from necessity, not from a sense of duty.
他们因需要而做某事，并非出于责任感。
16．It’s an experience I shall never forget and shall value for the rest of my life.
这是一种我永远铭记在我的余生中将倍加珍惜的经历。
①experience 作“经历”讲为可数名词；作“经验”时，为不可数名词。
Have you had an unforgettable experience?
Experience is the best teacher. 经验是最好的老师。
②value作名词时，为“价值，重要性”，作动词时，为“重视，估计”。例如：
The students have always valued their teachers.
学生向来敬重他们的老师。
The house is valued at $100.000.
这房子估价十万美金。
17．The sun does not go down in Antarctica, …北极的太阳不落…
go down意为“下降，降落”，可以指太阳，月亮的落下，也可指船只的沉没，价格的下跌。例如：
The sun is going down in the west behind the mountains.
太阳正在西方下山。
Prices don’t seem to be going down.物价似乎不会下跌。
The ship has gone down in the storm. 船在风暴中沉没了。
18．Life seemed to hold no promise.
生活看来似乎毫无希望。
promise作名词时，意为“诺言，有指望，有前途”。如：
He is dishonest and he always breaks a promise.他不诚实，总是食言。
The crops are full of promise.庄稼丰收在望。
跟“诺言”有关的短语有：keep a promise信守诺言；carry out a promise履行诺言；break a promise不守诺言
19．Her father showed her how hard work and discipline could lead to self-improvement.
她父亲让她明白艰苦奋斗和严以律己可以使人改善自己。
lead (sb. / sth ) to后跟名词，表示“引起（某人/某物）产生……”。例如：
Junk food will lead you to disease. 不健康食品会使你得病的。
Too much work often leads to illness.劳累过渡可导致疾病。
20．Her life shows us that hard work and discipline are the road to self-improvement.
她的生活向我们表明，艰苦奋斗和严守纪律是改善自己的途径。
road, street, path与way和辨析：
road指两地之间能通行人或车辆的大道，意为“公路，马路；道路；途径；”
street指城市乡镇中两边有建筑物的路段，意为“街道”；
path指由行人在田野林间踩成的道，往往较窄小蜿蜒曲折；
way指到达目的地所经过的途径，意为“道路、途径”，含义较抽象。有时还引申为“方法、方式或手段”。