新视野大学英语 读写教程第四册 unit1-c

　　Preview
The first passage describes the change in feelings a woman experiences when she spends time with her husband’s initially¹ silent friend who both surprises and tempts² her. The next passage is a discussion about the contrast between a family based upon romance, the “love family”, and a family based upon a marriage. The author concludes that the bonds are too loose in a love family and thus have negative consequences for any children involved. Passage C explores the concept of love and how one partner’s actions affect the other’s feelings and development as a person. Essentially³ the author believes that it is necessary to respect the other’s uniqueness and help him or her develop as an individual.
Pre-reading Activities
First Listening
Please listen to a short passage carefully and prepare to answer some questions.
Initially Mrs. Baroda found her husband’s friend’s silence both puzzling and boring. Her husband, Gaston, had informed her that his friend, Gouvernail, would be staying at the plantation⁴ for a few weeks and that he had a great wit. But she found his solemn silence lacking in any interest. The truth was, however, that he was a run-down, exhausted⁵ man merely seeking a short rest from overwork. Once he opened up and revealed his true personality, Mrs. Baroda was surprised and shocked by the temptation and desire he created in her, a respectable married woman. She felt it best to depart from the plantation as soon as possible.  (108 words)
Second Listening
Listen to the tape again. Then answer the following questions with your own experiences.
1. Why was Gaston’s friend, Gouvernail, staying at the plantation?
2. What did Mrs. Baroda think of Gouvernail?
3. Why did Mrs. Baroda leave the plantation?

1 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

2 tempts   

v.引诱或怂恿（某人）干不正当的事( tempt的第三人称单数 )；使想要

参考例句：

• It tempts the eye to dream. 这种景象会使眼睛产生幻觉。 来自辞典例句
• This is the tidbit which tempts his insectivorous fate. 就是这一点东西引诱它残杀昆虫。 来自互联网

3 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

4 plantation   

n.种植园，大农场

参考例句：

• His father-in-law is a plantation manager.他岳父是个种植园经营者。
• The plantation owner has possessed himself of a vast piece of land.这个种植园主把大片土地占为己有。

5 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。