Section III
Maintaining a Sharp Eye
Passage I : Read the Text
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas
Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday of November is uniquely an American holiday which dates back to the arrival of some of the first European settlers in the New World.① America has been blessed with rich land and rich natural resources. However, those early settlers would not have survived their first cold winter without the help of their native Indian neighbors, who taught them how to plant corns, and how to hunt wild deer.② The first Thanksgiving Day was observed after the fall harvest, and people gave thanks to God and to their friends.③ A traditional Thanksgiving dinner usually includes turkey, corn, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie—all foods that early settlers and the Indians ate on the first Thanksgiving Day in 1621.
Thanksgiving Day also marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in stores and shops of every kind. The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest shopping day of the year. Some American households will even put up a Christmas tree this early, although most will wait until a couple of weeks before Christmas Eve.④
Christmas is a family holiday. This feeling is expressed in the song "I'll be home for Christmas." The sweet melody of "Silent Night, Holy Night" often makes people far away from their family feel nostalgic. Those who cannot join the family will send a Christmas card home to express greetings of the season. At home family and friends gather to sing Christmas songs and play games. Children are kept busy with gifts they believe to be brought to them by Santa Claus.⑤ Adults often talk over a cup of tea or coffee. Christmas dinner may be similar to Thanksgiving dinner; candy and fruitcake are especially associated with this holiday. Though Christmas is now celebrated widely the world over, it still maintains its "home, sweet home" flavor.
Difficult Sentences
1. (Para. 1) Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday of November is uniquely an American holiday which dates back to the arrival of some of the first European settlers in the New World.
uniquely means “specifically, solely”
which引导定语从句
Translation: 每年11月的第四个星期四的感恩节是唯有美国才有的节日。它可以追溯到第一批欧洲人移居到新大陆的时期。
Example: English is one of the most important courses for the Chinese students which are compulsory in almost all the colleges and universities.
2. (Para. 1) However, those early settlers would not have survived their first cold winter without the help of their native Indian neighbors, who taught them how to plant corns, and how to hunt wild deer.
would not have survived : Subjunctive Mood
who引导非限制性定语从句
Translation: 然而，如果没有当地印第安人的帮助，那些早期的移民是无法度过他们在那里的第一个凛冽寒冬的。这些土著印第安邻居教他们如何种植玉米及如何狩猎野鹿
Example: I would like to say that without your help, I could not have completed the project on time.
3. (Para. 1) The first Thanksgiving Day was observed after the fall harvest, and people gave thanks to God and to their friends.
observed means“ spend and celebrate”
and 引导并列句
Translation: 第一个感恩节是在秋收后庆祝的，人们借此对上帝和朋友们表示感谢。
Example: The most important part of the Spring Festival is a big family reunion, and many people will also be busy with preparing all kinds of delicious traditional food.
4. (Para. 2) Some American households will even put up a Christmas tree this early, although most will wait until a couple of weeks before Christmas Eve.
this early means “so early”
although:引导让步性状语从句
Translation: 一些美国家庭甚至会在那时就早早地竖起了圣诞树, 虽然大部分人将会把这件事留到圣诞夜之前的几个星期才去做。
Example: Some students have begun to prepare for the final examination, although most will wait until a few weeks before the tests.
5. (Para. 3) Children are kept busy with gifts they believe to be brought to them by Santa Claus.
are kept busy with means “be occupied with, be busy doing sth.”
they believe to be brought to them by Santa Claus定语从句（省略which）修饰“gift”
Translation: 孩子们则忙于玩着那些他们认为是圣诞老人送给他们的礼物。
Example: I’ve received several Christmas cards I believed to be given to me by my students.
Important Words
- bless v.
e.g. May God bless you.
This country is blessed with mild climate and rich land.
Bless me! (啊呀，我的天哪。)
I’m blessed if I know. (反语，咒语：我一点也不知道呀！)
2. survive v. continue to live or exist, remain alive after, live or exist longer than
幸免于；比…长命
e.g. The old lady was so lucky that she survived the accident.
It’s difficult for these plants to survive the cold climate in t he north.
3. hunt v. go after wild animals; look for, try to find
e.g Nobody is allowed to hunt here.
All the people are helping hunt for a missing child.
4. observe v. celebrate; obey
e.g Do they observe Thanksgiving Day in that country?
We always observe birthdays at home.
All drivers should observe traffic laws strictly.
5. include v. bring in, reckon, as part of the whole
e.g. Don’t you think we should include some examples in this paragraph?
This book includes 20 chapters.
6. express v. show or make known by words, looks, action; clearly and definitely state
e.g. I find it very difficult for me to express how grateful I am for your kindness.
The heartfelt smile expresses her joy at the good news.
7. join v. put together, unite; come into the company
e.g. Where does the river join the sea?
Will you join us in the walk?
8. associate v. join or connect, be often in the company of ...
associate … with … 把……和……联系起来
e.g. I don’t want to associate myself with that matter.
Don’t associate with these dishonest persons.
9. maintain v. continue to keep up, retain
e.g. Teachers should maintain close ties with the students.
You’d better maintain 30 miles an hour in this area.
The workers are busy maintaining the roads before winter comes.