My Father

xijuan

1. Adjectives for describing

personality/character: Positive adjectives: easy-going, honest, open-

minded, humorous, interesting, peasant, pleasurable, frank, sympathetic, helpful, loyal

Negative adjectives: arrogant, dishonest, difficult, narrow-minded, boring, loathsome, unpleasant, selfish, rude, cowardly

Neutral adjectives: complicated, reserved, silent, quiet, talkative, sophisticated, ambitious, aggressive, timid, impulsive, sociable/unsociable

2. Expressions for personal appearance/one’s looks

(most of these expressions describe the physical features of a person):

Size: thin, skinny, slim, slender, big, large, small, little, stout, plump, fat, robust, athletic, muscular

Age: old, young, look old/young, doesn’t look one’s age, youngish, elderly, middle-aged, in one’s thirties/forties…

Resemblance: look like somebody, resemble, take after somebody, have someone’s eye’s/nose/hair…

3. Expressions for likes and dislikes:

love, like, enjoy, be crazy/mad about, be keen on, be interested in

dislike, feel sick about, hate, be indifferent to, don’t care for, be disgusted with

4. Expressions for managing relationships: Improving relations: get along with, have a good or

friendly relationship with, be on good terms with, live happily with, be kind/nice/agreeable to, compliment, praise, appreciate one’s help/advice

Hurting relations: laugh at, criticize, ridicule, quarrel with, split with, break up with,

look down upon, interfere with one’s affairs, have a bad

relationship with, there is bad blood between…and…, be difficult/hard on somebody Neutral: cope with, keep in touch with, be in/out of

contact with

Expressions for people we know or meet :

friends, strangers, acquaintances, colleagues, classmates, schoolmates, roommates, fellow students, fellow workers, neighbours, alumnus (pl. alumni)

employer―employee, superior―inferior/subordinate, teacher―student, doctor―patient, salesman―customer, etc.

Analyze the structure of the text

the first part (Para.1―Para.2): The narrator describes her father’s character, which is completely different from hers.

the second part (Para.3―Para.6): The narrator tells the reader that she and her father have different interests.

1. get on/along with sb | get on/along (together):

to have a friendly relationship with sb （与某人）和睦相处，关系良好

e.g.: He’s never really got on with his brother. 他从未与哥哥真正和睦相处过。

We get along just fine together. 我们相处得很融洽。

They two have never really got on. 她俩一直合不来。

My grandfather is very easy to get on with. 我的爷爷非常随和。

2. vain: adj.

1) (disapproving) too proud of your own appearance, abilities or achievements 自负的；自视过高的 SYN conceited

e.g.: She’s too vain to wear glasses. 她太爱虚荣，不肯戴眼睛。

2) that does not produce the result you want 徒劳的；枉然的；无结果的 SYN useless

e.g.: She closed her eyes tightly in a vain attempt to hold back the tears. 他紧闭双眼，却无法忍住眼泪。

IDM in vain: without success 枉费心机；徒劳无益；白费力气

e.g.: All our efforts were in vain. 我们的所有努力都付诸东流了

3. unapproachable:

adj. (of a person) unfriendly and not easy to talk to 不友好的；难接近的；不好说话的 OPP approachable

4. easy-going:

adj. relaxed and happy to accept things without worrying or getting angry 悠闲

的；随和的；不慌忙的 e.g.: I wish I had such easy-going parents!

我要是有这么随和的父母多好啊！

5 ． keep (oneself) to oneself:

to avoid meeting people socially or becoming involved in their affairs 离

群索居 ; 不与人往来 ; 不管别人的事 e.g.: Nobody knows much about him; he

keeps himself very much to himself.keep sth to oneself: to not tell other peop

le about sth 把…秘而不宣；不将…说出去

6. be out of touch (with sb):

to no longer communicate with sb, so that you no longer know what is happening to them 失去联系；不再了解（某人的）情况

be, get, keep, etc. in touch (with sb): （与…）有（或进行、保持等）联系

be, keep, etc. in touch (with sth): to know what is happening in a particular subject or area 了解（某课题或某领域的情况）

7. come first:

to be considered more important than anything else 首要；第一；首先要考虑的

e.g.: In any decision she makes, her family always comes first.

8. rehearse:

v. 1) to practise or make people practise a play, piece of music, etc. in preparation for a

public performance 排练；排演 e.g.: We were given only two weeks to rehearse. We’ll just be rehearsing the final scene.

我们只排演最后一幕。 2) to prepare in your mind or practise privately

what you are going to do or say to sb 默诵；背诵；默默地练习 e.g.: She walked along rehearsing her excuse f

or being late.

9. autograph:

n. a famous person’s signature, especially when sb asks them to write it ( 名人的 ) 亲笔签名

e.g.: Could I have your autograph? v. (of a famous person)to sign you

r name on sth for sb to keep ( 在…上 ) 签名

10. be proud of sb/sth | be proud to do sth | be proud that…:

feeling pleased and satisfied about sth thatyou own or have done, or are connected w

ith 骄傲的；自豪的；得意的；满足的 e.g.: Your achievements are something to

be proud of. She was proud that her daughter h

ad so much talent.

11. incredibly:

adv. 1) extremely e.g.: incredibly lucky/stupid/difficult/beautiful

2) in a way that is very difficult to believe 令人难以置信

incredible: adj. 1) extremely good or extremely large 极好的；极大的

2) impossible or very difficult to believe 不能相信的；难以置信的

12 ． show off:

(informal, disapproving) to try to impress others by talking abut your abilities, possessions,

etc. 炫耀自己；卖弄自己 e.g.: He’s just showing off because that girl he likes is h

ere. show sb/sth off : 1) to show people sb/sth that you ar

e proud of 炫耀；卖弄；显示 2) （ of clothing 服装） to make sb look attra

ctive, by showing their best features 使 显得漂亮；使夺目；衬托 e.g.: a dress that shows off her figure 衬托出她优美身

材的连衣裙

13 ． be pleased to do sth:

happy or willing to do sth 高兴，乐于（做某事）

e.g.: I was pleased to hear you’ve been promoted.

14. let sb down:

to fail to help or support sb as they had hoped or expected 不能帮助，不能支持（某人）；使失望 e.g.: I’m afraid she let us down badly.

let sb/sth down: to make sb/sth less successful than they/it should be ( 使 ) 略逊一筹，美中不足

e.g.: She speaks French very fluently, but her pronunciation lets her down. 她法语讲得很流利，但美中不足的是发音不大好。

15 ． settle down: 1) to start to have a quieter way of life, living in one place

( 在某地 ) 定居下来，过安定的生活 e.g.: When are you going to married and settle down? 2) to get into a comfortable position, either sitting or lying

舒适地坐下（或躺下） e.g.: I settled down with a book. 我手拿一本书，舒舒服

服地坐下。 settle down |settle sb down: to become or make sb bec

ome calm, less excited, etc. （使某人）安静下来，平静下来

settle (down) to sth: to begin to give your attention to sth 开始认真对待；定下心来做

settle in | settle into sth: to move into a new home, job, etc. and start to feel comfortable there 安顿

下来；习惯于（新居）；适应（新工作） e.g.: How are the kids settling into their new school? 孩

子们在新学校习惯了吗？

16 ． ideal: adj. 1) ideal (for sth): perfect; most suitable 完美的；理

想的；最合适的 2) [only before noun]existing only in your imaginat

ion or as an idea; not likely to be real 想象的；不切实际的

e.g.: In an ideal world there would be no poverty and disease. 在理想的世界里将没有贫穷和疾病。

n. [C] an idea or standard that seems perfect, and worth trying to achieve or obtain 理想；看似完美的思想（或标准） e.g.: political ideals 政治理想

[C, usually sing. ] ideal (of sth): a person or thing that you think is perfect 完美的人（或事物）

e.g.: It’s my ideal of what a family home should be. 这是我心目中完美的家庭住宅。

17. be opposed to:

disagreeing strongly with sth and trying to stop it 强烈反对

e.g.: She seems very much opposed to your going abroad.

18. break up (with sb):

end a relationship with sb 与某人绝交 e.g.: She’s just broken up with her boyfrie

nd. break with sth: give up sth; abandon st

h 与某事物决裂； 放弃某物 e.g.: break with tradition, the past 与传统、过去决裂

19. humble: adj. 1) having a low rank or social position (级别或地位 )低下的，卑微的

e.g.: a man of humble birth/origins a humble occupation卑下职业

2) showing you do not think that you are as important as other people 谦逊的；虚心的 e.g.: Be humble enough to learn from your mistakes. 要虚心地从自己的错误中 学习。

v. 1) to make sb feel that they are not as good or important as they thought they were 贬

低；使感到卑微 e.g.: He was humbled by his action. 2) to easily defeat an opponent, especially a strong

or powerful one 轻松打败（尤指强 大的对手） e.g.: The world champion was humbled last night in thre

e rounds. 这位世界冠军昨晚三个回合就被轻松击败。

Step 3 Analyze some sentences:

1. I didn’t want to go there in the first place: I had no intention to go there from the very beginning.

2. As a family, we’re not that close. : The word that in the sentence is an adverb to emphasize the degree of a feeling or quality.

Part III Extended Activities (Read more)

1. tell sb off (for sth./doing sth.): (informal) scold or reprimand sb 斥责或责骂某人

e.g.: The teacher told him off for not doing his homework.

2. pull string/wires (for sb):

(informal) use influential friends, indirect pressure, etc. in order to obtain an advantage (for sb) 凭借私人关系、间接压力等（为某人）谋取好处；走后门

e.g.: His uncle pulled a few string to get him into that university.

3. to somebody’s liking:

giving sb satisfaction: Pleasing sb 合某人意；讨某人喜欢

e.g.: I trust the music was to your liking.

4. bits and pieces; bits and bobs:

(informal) small objects or items of various kinds 各种各样的小零碎儿

e.g.: My daughter always has a lot of bits and pieces in her coat pocket.