1、Answer the following questions from the texts:Unit 1:1Which sentence in the first paragraph establishes the link between the driving of a nail and the choice of a word?So with language firmly and exactly.2. what does the word “this” in sentence 1,para 2, refer to?Getting the word that is completely
2、right for the writers purpose.3Do you agree with the author that there is a great deal of truth in the seemingly stupid question “How can I know what I think till I see what I say?”The question sounds irrational, but is true. Unless we have found the exact words to verbalize our own thoughts, we can
3、 never be very sure of what our thoughts are. Without words, our thoughts can not be defined or stated in a clear and precise manner. 4. expain why the word “imprison” in the example given in para.9, though not a malapropism, is still not the right word for the writers purpose?“malapropism” means th
4、e unintentional misuse of a word by confusing it with one that resembles it, such as “human” for “humane”, “singularity” for “singleness”. But the misuse of imprison is different case, it is wrongly chosen because the user has failed to recognise its associations.5. Please make comments on the three
5、 pairs of examples given in this section. Compare and contrast their differences in meaning. human: of, or relating to man. (human being; human nature; human rights) humane: characterized by kindness, mercy, or compassion. (humane judge, humane officer) Human action = action taken by human; Humane a
6、ction = merciful action; Human killer = person that kills human; Humane killer = instruments which kill but cause little pain, esp. those for the painless killing of animals.6. what does the word “alive” in the sentence “a student needs to be alive to these differences” (para.9)mean?Sensitive, alert
7、.7. the writer begins his article with an analogy between the unskilled use of the hammer and the improper choice of words. indentify the places where the analogy is referred to in the rest of the article.“we dont have to look far afield to find the evidence of carpentry”(para.5)“it is perhaps easie
8、r to be a good craftman with wood and nail than a good craftsman with words.”(para.9)“a good carpenter is not distinguished by the number of his tools, but by the craftsmanship with which he uses them. So a good writer is not measured by the extent of his vocabulary, but by his skill in finding the
9、“mot juste”, the word that will hit the nail cleanly on the head.”(para.11)Unit 3:1. In the Hoffmanns opinion “simplicity” is the best word to describe the essense of Einsteins character. The abstract notion of simplicity is explained by a phrase in the first paragraph. Which is it?“going instinctiv
10、ely to the heart of a matter”2. from the two anecdotes related in paras.2-4, what impression of Einstein have you got?Einstein was a very modest, never thinking himself any superior to or more authoritative than others because of his fame and achievements as a great scientist of the time. 3. what, a
11、ccording to the author, is Einsteins most outstanding trait as a scientist?Concentration. Refer to the first sentence of Paragraph 9.4. why did Einstein insist on working hard when he was so badly shaken by his wifes death?Working hard requires concentration, which would help him to dispel the feeli
12、ng of sorrow.5. how do you interpret the sentence in para.11 “to help him, I steeered the discussion away from routine matters into more difficult theoretical problems”?Tackling more difficult theoretical problems requires greater concentration and absorption. This would help him temporarily forget
13、the sadness caused by his wifes death.6. what revelation is made through Einsteins comment on Beethoven and Mozarts works?As a simple man, Einstein takes it that beauty exists in the Universe. Such beauty is natural, pure, and simple. Beauty found is even greater and more admirable than beauty creat
14、ed.7. how did Einstein feel about the destructive effect produced as a result of the application of his E=mc2 formula?This is something he had not expected. He was greatly dismayed by the devastating effect his formula produced once it was put into application.8.with his favorite anecdote related in
15、 para.19, Hoffmann aims to illustrate Einsteins whimsically. Do you think he is really a whimsical man? What personality trait other than being whimsical is revealed here?He was not really a whimsical man. If he could be called a whimsical man, then his whimsicality came from the young heart and chi
16、ldlike innocence which he had managed to retain.Unit 41. how do you account for Harringtons use n para.2 of the first person singular, which is not found anywhere else in the passage?To enforce his assertion that the other America did exist though most Americans might not believe it just because the
17、y had never been there personally. What Harrington is trying to say is “I myself was once ignorant of its existence, but now I can prove to you that it does exist.”2. what, according to Harrington, has rendered poverty less visible in rural America?Refer to paras.4-5Rural poverty is hidden away from
18、 tourists who normally travel on highways without penetrating into the country, and sometimes is masked by its natural beauty.3. how has urban development contributed to the reduced awareness of the existence of the poor?Refer to paras.8-10Urban transformation leads to the distributional segregation
19、 of poverty, and urban renewal creates the false impression about the existence of the poor.4. what have mass-production and age to do with the invisiblity of poverty?Refer to paras.11-14Mass production of garments enables even the poor to be decently dressed. Most poor people are aged; they are less mobile and thus less visible.5. how do you understand the statement “the poor are politically invisble”?politically, the poor are not adequately represented; and their voice is not heard an attended to in the political life of the nation.- 3 -
