新概念英語第二冊Lesson 94 Future champions

Lesson 94  Future champions 未來的冠軍

First listen and then answer the question.
聽錄音，然后回答以下問題。
What kind of race do the children compete in?
    
Experiments have proved that children can be instructed in swimming at a very early age. At a special swimming pool in Los Angeles, children become expert at holding their breath under water even before they can walk. Babies of two months old do not appear to be reluctant to enter the water. It is not long before they are so accustomed to swimming that they can pick up weights from the floor of the pool. A game that is very popular with these young swimmers is the underwater tricycle race. Tricycles are lined up on the floor of the pool seven feet under water. The children compete against each other to reach the other end of the pool. Many pedal their tricycles, but most of them prefer to push or drag them. Some children can cover the whole length of the pool without coming up for breath even once. Whether they will ever become future Olympic champions, only time will tell. Meanwhile, they should encourage those among us who cannot swim five yards before they are gasping for air.

New words and expressions 生詞和短語

instruct v. 指導，傳授
Los Angeles 洛杉磯
reluctant adj. 勉強的，不愿意的
weight n. 重物
underwater adj. 水下的
tricycle n. 三輪車
compete v. 比賽，對抗
yard n. 碼
gasp v. 喘氣

參考譯文

實驗證明，兒童在很小的時候就可以開始學習游泳。在洛杉磯的一個特設的游泳池里，孩子們甚至在還沒有學會走路時就已經(jīng)能熟練地在水下屏住呼吸了。兩個月的嬰兒并未顯得不愿意入水。他們很快便適應了游泳，以致能撿起池底的物品。這些幼小的游泳運動員非常喜愛的一種游戲是水下三輪車比賽。三輪車并排放在7英尺深的游泳池底上。孩子們比賽看誰先到達游泳池的另一端。很多孩子用腳蹬車，但多數(shù)孩子更愿意推或是拉著三輪車。有些孩子能夠跑完游泳池的全長而不用露出水面換氣。他們將來是否能成為奧林匹克的冠軍，這只能由時間來作出回答。與此同時，他們對我們中的那些游不了5碼就已喘不過氣來的人應該是種鼓舞。

 

　　自學導讀
　　課文詳注 Further notes on the text
　　1．…children become expert at holding their breath under water even before they can walk．……孩子們甚至在還沒有學會走路時就已經(jīng)能熟練地在水下屏住呼吸了。
　　（1）expert表示“熟練者”、“專家”，后面通常跟 at／in+ doing sth．結構（cf．第59課課文詳注）：
　　Rex soon became an expert at opening the gate.
　　雷克斯很快成了開門的專家。
　?。?）hold one's breath 為固定短語，表示“屏住呼吸”：
　　When the film became very exciting, Tom and Sally
　　would hold their breath.
　　電影演到激動人心處時，湯姆和薩莉就會屏住呼吸。
　　Last night, when I heard a strange noise coming from the bar, I held my breath and listened carefully.
　　昨天晚上，當我聽到酒吧間有奇怪的響聲后便屏住呼吸仔細聽。
　　2．It is not long before they are so accustomed to swimming that they can pick up weights from the floor of the pool. 他們很快便適應了游泳，以致能撿起池底的物品。
　　not long before 通常譯為“不久”、“很快”。 so…that 引導的是結果狀語從句。 pick up 表示“撿起”。weight 在這里指比重較大（因此能沉在水底）的物品。 be accustomed to 表示“習慣的”、“適應了的”，后面通常跟名詞或動名詞：
　　My mother is accustomed to getting up early.
　　我母親習慣早起。
　　He soon became accustomed to his new job.
　　他很快適應了新工作。
　　3．A game that is very popular with these young swimmers is…這些幼小的游泳運動員非常喜愛的一種游戲是……
　　popular表示“受歡迎的”、“討人喜歡的”，常與with或among連用：
　　Swimming is popular with these girls.
　　這些姑娘們喜愛游泳。
　　Mary is popular with / among children.
　　瑪麗受孩子們的歡迎。
　　4．Tricycles are lined up on the floor of the pool…
　　三輪車并排放在游泳池底上……
　　line up 為短語動詞，表示“（使）排成行／排隊”：
　　Why are people lining up over there?
　　人們在那邊排隊干什么？
　　Line these chairs up, please.
　　請把這些椅子排好。
　　5．Whether they will ever become future Olympic champions, only time will tell. 他們將來是否能成為奧林匹克的冠軍，這只能由時間來作出回答。
　　這是一個倒裝句，賓語從句置于句首。通常，以疑問詞引導的賓語從句會用于這種句型：
　　What made him do it, no one knows.
　　是什么使得他干了這事，沒有人知道。
　　How they found out the truth, only George can tell.
　　他們是如何發(fā)現(xiàn)真相的，只有喬治能作出回答。

　　詞匯學習 Word study
　　1．instruct vt．
　?。?）指導，教，傳授：
　　Children can be instructed in swimming at a very early age.
　　兒童在很小的時候就可以開始學習游泳。
　　Dan instructs chemistry at a nearby college.
　　丹在附近的一所學院教化學。
　　（2）指示，命令，吩咐：
　　The doctor instructed Jimmy to stay in bed for a week.
　　醫(yī)生囑咐吉米臥床一星期。
　　I've been instructed to give you this parcel.
　　我奉命將這個包裹交給您。
　　2．compete vi．
　?。?）比賽，對抗（通常與 with或 against連用）：
　　The children compete against each other to reach the other end of the pool.
　　孩子們比賽看誰先到達游泳池的另一端。
　　How many people will compete in the race?
　　有多少人參加這個比賽？
　　During the singing contest, Mary competed with Helen for the first prize.
　　在歌詠比賽中，瑪麗與海倫爭奪一等獎。
　?。?）匹敵，比得上，媲美（通常與with連用，多用于否定句）：
　　Hugh's house can't compete with yours.
　　休的房子比不上你的。
　　None of his later books can compete with his first one.
　　他后來的書沒有一本能比得上第一本。

　　練習答案 Key to written exercises
　　1．關鍵句型練習答案
　　1 of                     2 of…to                       3 to…from
　　4 on…on              5 from…with               6 to…of
　　7 with…on           8 with…to                    9 to…with
　　10 at…on             11 of…for                    12 in / with
　　13 in                    14 to…in…with            15 of…to
　　16 of                   17 for                          18 of…to
　　19 for…for          20 on…in                     21 of…about
　　22 to                    23 for/ about…at/by      24 in
　　25 of…of             26 to…of                     27 for
　　28 to                    29 on                           30 on…of
　　31 to                    32 to/with…of              33 to…to
　　34 from…of         35 in…on
　　2．多項選擇題答案
　　1a  2b  3c  4b  5a  6d
　　7a  8c  9d  10a  11b  12c