中级美国英语 第十二课

一.本课要点及示例

在这一课里, 我们学习形容词最高级, 比方: "最高", "最好", "最快" 等等. 现在我们来听这一课的对话, 请你注意听老师的发音和语调.

M: Nancy, I have to submit¹ a report on the big fire last night. Can you help me type it?
F: Why me? I have a lot of work to do.
M: Because you are the best typist in the office.
F: But you always write the longest reports.
M: Well, this one is very long because it's about the biggest fire in months.
F: And this is the most important report, right?
M: Yes, and I type very slowly. So, please help me.
F: All right. Can I do it tomorrow? This is my busiest day.
M: Sure. Thank you very much. You are the greatest.

现在我们把整段对话再听一遍. 这次老师念的比较慢, 请你注意听:

M: Nancy, I have to submit a report on the big fire last night. Can you help me type it?
F: Why me? I have a lot of work to do.
M: Because you are the best typist in the office.
F: But you always write the longest reports.
M: Well, this one is very long because it's about the biggest fire in months.
F: And this is the most important report, right?
M: Yes, and I type very slowly. So, please help me.
F: All right. Can I do it tomorrow? This is my busiest day.
M: Sure. Thank you very much. You are the greatest.

在刚才那段对话里, 有一些形容词最高级的例子, 现在我请英文老师把这些例子念出来, 请你注意听.

M: You are the best typist in the office.
F: You write the longest reports.
M: It's about the biggest fire in months.
F: This is the most important report.
F: This is my busiest day.
M: You are the greatest.

二.形容词最高级

从刚才那段对话里, 你可能已经听出来英语的形容词最高级基本上有两种. 一种是在短的形容词后面加上e-s-t, 比方: longest, biggest 等等; 另外一种是在长的形容词的前面加上most,m-o-s-t, most, 比方: most intelligent, most beautiful 等等. 不过也有例外, 比方: "最好" 是 best, b-e-s-t, best, "最坏" 是 worst, w-o-r-s-t, worst. 而且在形容词最高级的前面通常要加 the, t-h-e, the.下面来我们作一组练习. 由老师念一些跟刚才那段对话有关系的句子, 请学生把句子里的形容词, 改为形容词最高级说出来. 比方老师说: Nancy is a good typist. 学生就说: Nancy is the best typist. 现在我们开始作练习. 请你在学生作练习的时候也一起作.

M: Nancy is a good typist.
F: Nancy is the best typist.
M: Nancy is a busy typist.
F: Nancy is the busiest typist.
M: Nancy is a great friend.
F: Nancy is the greatest friend.
M: Henry wrote a long report.
F: Henry wrote the longest report.
M: It is an important report.
F: It is the most important report.

下面我们来听一段对话,内容是说南希跟亨利聊天, 谈到亨利有几个孩子, 哪个最大, 哪个最小, 谁最高, 谁最聪明等等. 现在请你注意听, 等一会儿我们要根据这段对话作练习.

F: How many children do you have?
M: I have three. Peter, Jenny and Linda.
F: Is Peter the oldest one?
M: No, he isn't. Jenny is the oldest. Linda is the youngest. Peter is in the middle; but he 　 is the tallest one. He is even taller than I am.
F: Is Peter in the university?
M: No, he is a senior in high school. I think he is the most intelligent one in the family. 　 But Jenny is the most beautiful one and Linda is the most ambitious² one. My wife, Kate, 　 and I are very proud of them.
F: Does your wife work?
M: Yes, she teaches in an elementary school. She is the busiest one in the family.

刚才那段对话里有很多形容词最高级的例子, 现在我们来练习这些最高级形容词.练习的作法是由老师用比较级形容词提出一个问句,请你用形容词最高级作肯定的答覆. 比方老师问你: Is Henry older than Peter? 你就回答说: Yes, Henry is the oldest one in the family. 现在我们开始作练习. 每作完一句, 就请你听正确答案.

M: Is Henry older than Peter?
F: Yes, Henry is the oldest one in the family.
M: Is Kate busier than Jenny?
F: Yes, Kate is the busiest one in the family.
M: Is Jenny more beautiful than Linda?
F: Yes, Jenny is the most beautiful one in the family.
M: Is Linda younger than Peter?
F: Yes, Linda is the youngest one in the family.
M: Is Linda more ambitious than Peter?
F: Yes, Linda is the most ambitious one in the family.
M: Is Peter more intelligent than Jenny?
F: Yes, Peter is the most intelligent one in the family.
M: Is Peter taller than Henry?
F: Yes, Peter is the tallest one in the family.

三.听对话做练习

下面我们再来听一段对话, 内容是说亨利问南希她老家在哪儿? 家乡还有亲戚朋友吗? 南希告诉亨利: 她最要好的朋友给国会议员工作等等. 现在请你注意听. 听完之后, 我们还是要根据对话作练习.

M: Where are you from originally?
F: I am from Washington, D.C. I think it is the most colorful city in the United States. I 　 really would like to go back there to visit.
M: Do you still have relatives and friends there?
F: Yes, my best friend still lives there. But she told me, Washington, D.C., is one of the 　 most expensive cities to live in nowadays; and it has the worst city traffic.
M: Does your friend drive to work everyday?
F: No, she takes the subway. She thinks that's the most practical way to get to work in
　 Washington, D.C.
M: Does your friends work for the government?
F: Yes, she works³ for a congressman⁵. She thinks she is working for the most important person 　 in Congress⁴, and I think she has the most interesting job.

现在我们来作练习. 这组练习可以帮助你了解刚才那段对话. 练习的作法是由老师根据对话, 用普通形容词提出问句, 请你用形容词最高级作肯定的答覆.比方老师说: "华盛顿是美国一个多彩多姿的城市吗?" Is Washington, D. C., a colorful city in the United States? 你就回答说: "对了, 它是美国最多彩多姿的城市." Yes, it is the most colorful city in the United States. 请你注意凡是形容词
最高级前面有人名或是代名词的时候就不必用 t-h-e, the. 比方: Nancy's best friend lives in Washington, D.C. 好, 现在我们开始作练习. 每作完一句, 还是请你听老师念正确答案.

M: Is Washington, D.C., a colorful city in the United States?
F: Yes, it is the most colorful city in the United States.
M: Is Washington, D.C., one of the expensive cities to live in?
F: Yes, it is one of the most expensive cities to live in.
M: Does Washington, D.C., have bad city traffic?
F: Yes, it has the worst city traffic.
M: Does Nancy's friend work for an important person in Congress?
F: Yes, she works for the most important person in Congress.
M: Does Nancy's friend have an interesting job?
F: Yes, she has the most interesting job.

四.听短文回答问题

在刚才那个练习里, 我们提到了美国首都华盛顿风景优美. 有人认为, 这也是华盛顿的特点之一; 其实美国许许多多大城都各有特色, 比方:大西洋沿岸的纽约,太平洋沿岸的旧金山, 洛杉矶, 还有亨利一家人住的西雅图也都有令人偏爱的地方. 美国各个州也都不同, 比方: 加利福尼亚州人口最多, 阿拉斯加州面积最大, 佛罗里达州气候最热等等.下面我们来听一段文章. 这段文章的内容就是谈到美国的几个州和大城.
请你注意听. 听完之后, 我们要作听力测验.

There are fifty states in the United States. The largest in population is California; the largest in area is Alaska. Alaska is the smallest in population and Rhode Island is the smallest in size. The oldest states are the ones along the Atlantic coast. The newest states are Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska is also the coldest state. California and Florida are the warmest. Henry and his family live in Seattle, a big city on the Pacific coast. But Los Angeles and San Francisco, also on the Pacific coast, are larger than Seattle. Henry's cousin, Susan, lives in New York. It is the largest city in the United States. Thousands of people visit New York each year. The most important city in the United States is Washington, D.C. It is the capital, but it is much smaller than New York.

刚才那段文章你听懂了多少? 等一会儿我请英文老师再把整段文章用慢速度念一遍. 现在我们先来听今天测验的三个问题.

第一个问题是:
M: Among the fifty American states, which is the largest, newest and coldest?

第二个问题是:
M: Why is Washington,D.C., the most important city in the United States?

第三个问题是:
M: What are some of the large American cities on the Pacific coast?

现在我请英文老师再把文章用慢速度念一遍, 请你注意听.

There are fifty states in the United States. The largest in population is California; the largest in area is Alaska. Alaska is the smallest in population and Rhode Island is the smallest in size. The oldest states are the ones along the Atlantic coast. The newest states are Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska is also the coldest state. California and Florida are the warmest.Henry and his family live in Seattle, a big city on the Pacific coast. But Los Angeles and San Francisco, also on the Pacific coast, are larger than Seattle. Henry's cousin, Susan, lives in New York. It is the largest city in the United States. Thousands of people visit New York each year. The most important city in the United States is Washington, D.C. It is the capital, but it is much smaller than New York.

现在请你回答今天测验的三个问题. 回答之后, 老师会念出正确答案, 你己比较一下看看答对了没有.

第一个问题是:
M: Among the fifty American states, which is the largest, newest and coldest?
F: Alaska is the largest, newest and coldest state in the United States.

第二个问题是:
M: Why is Washington,D.C., the most important city in the United States?
F: Washington, D.C., is the most important American city because it is the capital of the
　 United States.

第三个问题是:
M: What are some of the large American cities on the Pacific coast?
F: Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco are some of the large American cities on the
　 Pacific coast.

 

1 submit   

vi.(to)屈服，听从vt.呈送，提交；主张

参考例句：

• He was losing the fight but he would not submit. 他战败了,但不屈服。
• I will not submit to such treatment. 我不甘心忍受这样的待遇。

2 ambitious   

adj.有雄心的，劲头十足的，有野心的

参考例句：

• One may be poor but never ceases to be ambitious.人穷志不穷。
• He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。

3 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

4 Congress   

n.(代表)大会；(C-:美国等国的)国会，议会

参考例句：

• There were some days to wait before the Congress.大会的召开还有几天时间。
• After 18 years in Congress,he intented to return to private life.在国会供职18年后，他打算告老还乡。

5 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。