CET1-03 THE PRESENT

  Unit Three                                     

   Text 
                They say  that blood is  thicker  than water, that
              our relatiees are more important to us than others.Ev-
              eryone was so kind  to the old  lady  on her birthday.
              Surely her daughter would make an even bigger effort
              to please her?                                              

                             THE PRESENT

         It was the old lady's birthday.
         She got up early to be  ready for the  post.  from  the  second floor flat
    she could see the postman when he came down the street,and the little boy
    from the  ground  floor brought up her letters on  the  rare occasions when
 5 anything came.
        Today she was sure  there  would be something.  Myra wouldn't  forget
   her mother's  birthday,  even if she seldom wrote at other times. Of course
   Myra was busy. Her husband had been made Mayor, and Myra herself had
   got a medal for her work f or the aged.
10     The  old  lady  was  proud  of  Myra,  but  Enid  was the  daughter  she
   loved.  Enid  had  never  married,  but  had seemed content to live with her
   mother, and teach in a primary school round the corner.
       One evening,  however,  Enid said,  "I've  arranged  for  Mrs.  Morrison
    to look after you for a few days, Mother. Tomorrow I have to go into hos-
15 pital--just a minor operation. I'll soon be home. "
        In the morning she went,  but  never  came back--she died on  the oper-
    ating table. Myra came to the funeral, and in her efficient way arranged for
    Mrs.  Morrison to come  in and  light the fire and give the  old  her  break-
    fast.
20     Two  years  ago  that was,  and  since  then  Myra had  been  to see her
   mother three times, but her husband never.
       The old  lady was  eighty  today.   She had  put on  her best  dress.  Per
   haps-perhaps Myra  might  come.  After all,  eighty  was a special birthday,
   another decade lived or endured just as you chose to look at it.
25     Even  if Myra did not  come,  she  would  send  a present.  The old lady
   was sure of that. Two spots of colour  brightened  her cheeks. She was ex-
   cited-like a child. She would enjoy her day.
      Yesterday  Mrs.  Morrison  had  given  the  flat an extra clean, and today
   she had brought a card and a bunch of marigolds when she came to do the
30 breakfast. Mrs.  Grant  downstairs had  made a cake,  and in the afternoon
   she was going down there to tea. The little boy, Johnnie,  had been up with
   a packet of mints,  and  said  he wouldn't  go out to pIay until the post had
   come.
       "I guess you'll  get lots and  lots of presents,  "he said."  I did last week
35 when I was six. "
       What would she  like?  A pair of slippers  perhaps.  Or a  new cardigan.
   A cardigan would  be lovely.  Blue's such a pretty colour.  Jim had always
   liked her in blue. Or a table lamp. Or a book, a travel book,  with pictures,
   or a little clock, with clear black numbers. So many lovely things.
40     She stood by  the window,  watching. The postman  turned  round  the
   corner on his bicycle.Her heart beat fast.Johnnie had seen him too and ran
   to the gate.
      Then  clatter,  clatter up  the stairs.  Johnnie  knocked at her door.
      "Granny, granny, "he shouted, "I've got your post: "
45    He  gave  her  four  envelopes.  Three  were  unsealed  cards  from  old
   friends. The fourth was sealed,in Myra's  writing.  The old lady felt a pang
   of disappointment.
       "No parcel, Johnnie?"  
         "No granny."
50     Maybe  the parcel was  too Iarge to come by letter post. That was it. It
   would come, later by parcel post. She must be patient.
       Almost reluctantly,  she tore the envelope open.  Folded in the card was
   a piece of paper.Written on the card was a message under the printed Hap-
   py Birthday-- Buy  yourself  something  nice  with the  cheque,  Myra  and
55 Harold.
      The cheque  fluttered  to  the  floor like a bird  with a broken wing.Slow-
   ly the old lady stooped to pick it up.  Her present,  her lovely present.With
   treiinling fingers she tore it into little bits.
   

                                          New Words    
                                                        
relative/n.                          
present / n                          gift 
postman / n.                       
rare / a.                              not happening often 
occasion / n.                      special time; time when sth. happens 
mayor / n.                          chief official of a city or town 
medal / n.                  
aged / a.                             old
content / a.                         satisfied; pleased           
primary / a.                        first; earliest 
arrange / vi.                        make preparations; plan 
minor / a.                           not serious or important 
operate / vi.                        cut the body in order to set right or remove a
                                          diseased part 
 operating table n.         a special table in a hospital, where operations are
                                           done 
funeral / n.                        
efficient / a.                        able to plan and work well 
decade / n.                         ten years
endure /vt.                          bear (pain, suffering, etc.) 
spot n.                               a round area that is different from the main sur-
                                           face 
brighten / vt.                       make bright or brighter 
cheek / n.                           either side of the face below the eye
extra / a.                             additional 
clean n.                              cleaning
bunch /n.                            things of the same kind that are tied together 
marigold / n.                      
packet / n .                         small parcel or box
mint / n.                            
slipper / n.                          
cardigan / n.                       
clatter / n.                           a number of rapid short knocking sounds 
granny / n.                          (colloq. for) grandmother
envelope / n.                       a paper cover for a letter 
unsealed /a.                         
seal vt.                                
sealed / a.                          
writing / n.                          handwriting 
pang / n.                             sudden, sharp pain 
disappointment/                  sadness because one does not get what one hopes
n.                                       for 
disappoint vt.                                  
parcel / n.                           
reluctantly / ad.                   unwillingly 
reluctant a.                                      
fold / vt.                             bend into two or more parts 
cheque / n.                         
flutter / vt.                           move quickly to and fro in the air 
stoop / vi.                           bend the body forwards and downwards 
tremble vi.                          shake uncontrollably with quick short move-
                                          ments          

                             Phrases & ExPressions 

at other times                         on other occasions 
round/around the corner          very near in distance or time 
after all                                   in spite of everything;it must be remembered                               
be sure of                               
pick up                                   take hold of and lift up from a surface 

CET1-02 SAILING ROUND THE WORLD

Unit Two
Text

At sixty-five Francis Chichester set out to sail single-handed round the world. This is the story of that adventure.

SAILING ROUND THE WORLD

Before he sailed round the world single-handed, Francis Chichester had already surprised his friends several times. He had tried to fly round the world but failed. That was in 1931.
The years passed. He gave up flying and began sailing. He enjoyed it greatly. Chichester was already 58 years old when he won the first solo transatlantic sailing race. His old dream of going round the world came back, but this time he would sail. His friends and doctors did not think he could do it, as he had lung cancer. But Chichester was determined to carry
out his plan. In August, 1966, at the age of nearly sixty-five, an age when many men retire,
he began the greatest voyage of his life.Soon, he was away in his new 16-metre boat, Gipsy
Moth.

Chichester followed the route of the great nineteenth century clipper ships. But the
clippers had had plenty of crew. Chichester did it all by himself, even after the main steering device had been damaged by gales. Chichester covered 14,100
miles before stopping in Sydney, Australia. This was more than twice the distance anyone had previously sailed alone.
He arrived in Australia on 12 December, just 107 days out from England. He received a warm welcome from the Australians and from his family who had flown there to meet him. On shore, Chichester could not walk without help. Everybody said the same thing: he had done enough; he must not go any further. But he did not listen.
After resting in Sydney for a few weeks, Chichester set off once more in spite of his friends'attempts to dissuade him. The second half of his voyage was by far the more dangerous part, during which he sailed round the treacherous Cape Horn.
On 29 January he left Australia. The next night, the blackest he had ever known, the sea became so rough that the boat almost turned over. Food, clothes, and broken glass were all mixed together. Fortunately, the damage to the boat was not too serious. Chichester calmly got into bed and went to sleep. When he woke up, the sea had become calm again. Still, he
could. not help thinking that if anything should happen, the nearest person he could contact by radio, unless there was a ship nearby, would be on an island 885 miles away.
After succeeding in sailing round Cape Horn, Chichester sent the following radio message to London: -I feel as if I had wakened f rom a night mare. Wild horses could not drag me down to Cape Horn and that sinister Southern Ocean again.
Just before 9 0'clock on Sunday evening 28 May, 1967 , he arrived back in England, where a quarter of a million people were waiting to welcome him. Queen Elizabeth II knighted him with the very sword that Queen Elizabeth I had used almost 400 years earlier to knight Sir Francis Drake after he had sailed round the world for the first time. The whole voy
age from England and back had covered 28,500 miles. It had taken him nine months, of which the sailing time was 226 days. He had done what he wanted to accomplish.
Like many other adventurers, Chichester had experienced fear and amquered it. In doing so, he had undoubtedly learnt something about himself . Moreover, in the moderri age when human beings depend so much on machines, he had given men throughout the world new pride.

New Words

single-handed / a. (done) by one person alone
& ad.
adventure /n.
solo / a. single-handed
transatlantic /a. crossing the Atlantic Ocean
lung / n. part of the body with which one breathes
cancer / n.
determined / a. with one's mind firmly made up
determine v.
determination n.
retire / vi. stop working at one's job(because of age)
voyage / n. sea journey
route / n. way from one place to another
clipper / n.
crew / n. group of people who work together on a ship or
aeroplane
steer / vt. make (esp.a boat or road vehicle) go in a par-
ticular direction
device / n. a piece of equipment
steering device n.
damage / vt. cause harm or injury to
n. harm, injury
gale / n. very strong wind
cover vt. travel (a certain distance)
previously / ad. before
previous a.
attempt / v. & n. try
dissuade / vt. prevent (sb.)from doing sth. by reasoning
treacherous / a. more dangerous than it seems
cape / n.
rough a. (of weather or the sea) stormy;not calm fortunately / ad. luckily
fortunate a.
contact / vt. get in touch with
nearby i/ ad. close by
following / a. next; to be mentioned immediately
waken v. (cause to ) wake
nightmare / n. terrible dream
drag vt. pull along with great effort
sinister / a.
knight / n.
vt.
sword / n.
accomplish / vt. finish successfully
conquer / vt. overcome
undoubtedly /ad. certainly
moreover /ad. in addition
human / a. of or concerning people
being / n. a living thing, esp. a person

Phrases & Expressions

set out begin a course of action
give up stop doing
be determined to (do) have a strong will to ( do)
(all) by oneself (completely) alone
in spite of not taking notice of;not caring about
by far by a large amount or degree ...
turn over (cause to) fall over,upset
can not help can not keep oneself from

CET1-01 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR STUDY HABITS

Unit One
Text
Want to know how to improve your grades without having to spend more time studying? Sounds too good to be true? Well, read on...

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR STUDY HABITS

Perhaps you are an average student with average intelligence. You do well enough in school, but you probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessarily the case,however. You can receive better grades if you want to.Yes,even students of average intelligence can be top students without additional work. Here's how:
1. Plan your time carefully. Make a list of your weekly tasks. Then make a schedule or chart of your time. Fill in committed time such as eating, sleeping, meetings, classes, etc. Then decide on good, regular times for studying. Be sure to set aside enough time to complete your normal reading and work assignments. Of course, studying shouldn't occupy all of
the free time on the schedule. It's important to set aside time for relaxation, hobbies, and entertainment as well. This weekly schedule may not solve all of your problems, but it will make you more aware of how you spend your time. Furthermore, it will enable you to plan your activities so that you have adequate time for both work and play.

2. Find a good place to study.Choose one place for your study area. It may be a desk or a chair at home or in the school library, but it should be comfortable, and it should not have distractions. When you begin to work, you should be able to concentrate on the subject:
3. Skim before you read. This means looking over a passage quickly before you begin to read it more carefully. As you preview the material, you get some idea of the content and how it is orgamzed. Later when you begin to read you will recognize less important material and you may skip some of these portions. Skimming helps double your reading speed and improves your comprehension as well.
4. Make good use of your time in class. Listening to wliat the teacher says in class means less work later. Sit where you can see and hear well. Take notes to help you remember what the teacher says.
5. Study regularly. Go over your notes as soon as you can after class. Review important points mentioned in class as well as points you remain confused about. Read about these points in your teXtbook. If you know what the teacher will discuss the next day, skim and read that material too. This will help you understand the next class. If you review your notes and textbook regularly, the material will become more meaningful and you will remember it longer. Regular review leads to improved performance on tests.
6. Develop a good attitude about tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't worry excessively about a single test.Tests provide grades, but they also let you know what you need to spend more time studying, and they help make your new knowledge permanent.
There are other techniques that might help you with your studying.
OnIy a few have been mentioned here. You will probably discover many others after you have tried these. Talk with your classmates about their study techniques. Share with them some of the techniques you have found to be helpful. Improving your study habits will improve your grades.

New Words

average /a. ordinary
intelligence / n. ability to learn and understand
necessarily / ad. inevitably
case / n. what has really happened; actual condition
additional/ a. added
addition n.
weekly / a. done or happening every week
schedule / n. timetable
chart / n. (sheet of paper with) information written or
drawn in the form of a picture
commit/ vt.
aside / ad. to the side
etc. / (Latin, shortened form for et cetera) and other things
normal / a. usual
reading n. the act or practice of reading
assignment / n. sth. giveri out as a task
occupy / vt. take up
relaxation / n. (sth. done for) rest and amusement
relax v.
hobby / n. what one likes to do in one's free time
entertainment / n. show, party, etc. that people enjoy
entertain vt.
solve / vt. find an answer to (a problem) ）
aware / a. having knowledge or understanding
furthermore / ad. moreover; in addition
enable/ vt. make (sb.) able ( to do sth. )
activity / n. sth. (to be) done
adequate / a. as much as one needs; enough
distraction / n. sth. that draws away the mind or attention
conceritrate (on or upon) / vi. pay close attention ( to)
skim / vt. read quickly to get the main ideas ( of )
preview / vt. have a general view of ( sth. ) beforehand
content / n. what is written in a book, etc.
organize/ vt. form into a whole
later / ad.
skip / vt. pass over
portion / n. part;share
double / v. make or become twice as great or as many
comprehension / n. the act of understanding or ability to understand
mention / vt. speak or write about (sth. ) in a few words
confused / a. mixed up in one's mind
confuse vt.
textbook n. a standard book for the study of a subject
performance / n. achievement
meaningful /a. having important meaning or value
attitude / n. what one thinks about sth.
purpose / n. aim
excessively / ad. too much
excessive a.
permanent / a. lasting for a long time; never changing
technique / n way of doing sth.
helpful a. useful; providing help or willing to help

Phrases & Expressions

decide on make a choice or decision about
set aside save for a special purpose
as well also; too; in addition
be aware (of) know (sth.); know (what is happening)
concentrate on direct one's attention, efforts, etc.to
look over examine (quickly)
go over review
lead to result in