大学英语课件.ppt

New College English (Integrated Course 4) Unit 6 The Pace of Life Text A Old Father Time Becomes a Terror Supplementary Notes 2? Machines were expected to do our work for us, leaving us with ever-increasing quantities of time to waste away on idleness and pleasure.: We once hoped that machines would do our work for us, then we would have more and more time to spend on idleness and pleasure. idleness: the state of being idle, not working leaving us with …and pleasure: is a present participle phrase used as an accompanying adverbial. 4?Innovations are occurring at a bewildering rate: as many now arrive in a year as once arrived in a millennium.: New technologies are being developed so fast that we almost have no time to get to know them and are even confused by them. The number of innovations occurring now in a year equals that of those once accumulated in a thousand years. innovation: instance of new idea, new method, new technique, invention bewildering: puzzling rate: speed of movement, change, etc. millennium: a period of a thousand years In this sentence, “as many … in a millennium” serves as a further explanation of “bewildering rate”. The structure “as many … as” introduces two adverbial clauses of comparison, and the word “innovations” which should have followed “many” is omitted. 6 eat into: gradually reduce the amount of (sth. valuable); damage or destroy 8 The motorcar, for example, promised unimaginable levels of personal mobility.: For example, the motorcar was expected to enable people to move around very freely and easily. promise: be expected 10 stuck in traffic jams: unable to move in traffic jams. The past participle phrase serves as an adverbial. 11 horizons: (pl.) outlooks. If you broaden / expand / widen your horizons you increase your knowledge and experience. The trouble is, it delivered them.: The problem is that the plane expanded the horizons. deliver: provide sth. promised, desired or expected be