《英语流行话题阅读:语境识词3500》Unit 4 手语她

　　Unit¹ 04
There is one language² that is in use in every country in the world. The people who use it are young and old, thin and fat, short and tall. It is everybody's second language. It is easy to understand, although³ you can not hear it. It is sign language.
When you wave⁴ to a friend who is across⁵ the street, you are using sign language. When you smile at someone⁶, you are saying⁷, "I want to be friendly⁸." but you are not using speech⁹. You are using sign language. When you raise¹⁰ your hand in class, you are saying, "Please ask me. I think I know the correct¹¹ answer."
Babies who can not talk can point at things. They are using sign language. A policeman who wants to stop traffic¹² holds up his hand. He is using sign language. Winston Churchill's famous¹³ "V-for-Victory" was¹⁴ sign language, too.
Many years ago, a French¹⁵ priest¹⁶, Charles Michel de l'Epee, became¹⁷ interested¹⁸ in education¹⁹ for deaf²⁰ people. He invented²¹ a finger alphabet²². It is still in use. People can make signs for letters and spell words with their hands, and deaf people can read and understand them.
The priest who made²³ up the finger alphabet also founded²⁴ the first school for the deaf in Paris in 1760. Teachers and doctors who wanted to help deaf people went to Paris and learnt Abbe de l'Epee's system²⁵. Then they taught²⁶ it to their students and patients²⁷. Soon there were schools for the deaf in many countries.
Today in the United²⁸ States²⁹, there are special TV news³⁰ programs³¹ for deaf people. The newsreader tells the new in sign language. At the same time, the words appear³² on the TV screen³³.
There is also a National³⁴ Theater³⁵ of the Deaf. Most of the actors³⁶ in this group are deaf. They travel³⁷ from city to city and do plays, readings³⁸, poems³⁹ and dances in sign language and pantomime. Two members tell the story or speak the lines during⁴⁰ the performance⁴¹.
The actors in the Theater of the Deaf do not finger spell every word. Sometimes they use hand signs. When they put two hands together, it means⁴² "sandwich". They can make a roof⁴³ with their hands over their heads when they want to show "house". One finger in front of an actor's mouth means "quiet". With sign language, you can talk to people who are behind windows that are closed⁴⁴. And when you go swimming with your friends, you can have a conversation⁴⁵ under water!

1 unit   

n.单位，单元，部件，元件，装置

参考例句：

• This unit is very hard.这个单元很难。
• This textbook has twenty units.这本课本有二十单元。

2 language   

n.语言

参考例句：

• Is English a hard language to learn?英语是一种难学的语言吗？
• Language is a wonderful thing.语言是极好的东西。

3 although   

conj（=though）虽然，即使，纵然，尽管

参考例句：

• Although my car is very old,It'still runs very well.我的汽车虽然很旧，但仍然跑得很快。
• Although he worked hard,he failed in the exam.虽然他很努力，但他考试没有及格。

4 wave   

n.波，波浪，波动；v.波动，挥动，起伏

参考例句：

• The flag waved in the wind.旗帜在风中飘扬。
• The waves stopped.波浪停止了。

5 across   

adv.横过，使...被理解(或接受)；prep.穿过，横过

参考例句：

• He walked across the road carefully.他小心地过马路。
• You can go across the bridge.你可以越过这座桥。

6 someone   

pron.某人，有人

参考例句：

• I can hear someone knocking.我听到有人敲门。
• Someone wants to see her.有人找她。

7 saying   

n.谚语，俗话，格言；动词say的现在分词

参考例句：

• Saying and doing are two things.说和做是两码事。
• I know a chinese saying.我知道一句中国谚语。

8 friendly   

adj.友好的，和气的

参考例句：

• He's not friendly to others.他对别人不友好。
• People here are very friendly.这儿的人很友好。

9 speech   

n.讲话，演说

参考例句：

• I did not lose a word of his speech.他的演说我没有听漏一个字。
• We were listening in to the Prime Minister's speech.我们正在收音机旁听首相的广播演说。

10 raise   

v.提高，举起；饲养，养育；引起，惹起

参考例句：

• Why didn't you raise the question at the meeting? 这问题你怎么没有在会上提出来？
• He went to ask for a raise.他要求增加工资。

11 correct   

adj.正确的；vi.改正，纠正；vt.改正

参考例句：

• She gave a correct answer.她给了个正确的答案。
• Choose the correct one from these words.选择正确的词填空。

12 traffic   

adj.交通的；n.交通；vi.交易，买卖

参考例句：

• That will help the traffic.这会促进交通状况。
• He had a traffic accident.他出了交通事故。

13 famous   

adj.著名的，驰名的，闻名遐迩的；极好的；擅长的

参考例句：

• The hotel is famous for its suppers.那个酒店以晚餐而著称。
• He is famous for his learning.他以有学问而出名。

14 was   

v.(is,am的过去式)是，在

参考例句：

• He said he was right.他说他是正确的。
• He was cold and hungry.他又冷又饿。

15 French   

adj.法国(人)的，法语的；n.法语；vt.剁肉，蔬菜切成长条

参考例句：

• She reads French quite well,but doesn't speak it.她法语的阅读能力相当强，但不会讲。
• The only French city she enjoyed was Paris.巴黎是她惟一喜欢的法国城市。

16 priest   

n.神父，牧师，司铎，司祭，领导者，神甫；vt.使成为神职人员

参考例句：

• He confessed to a priest that he had sinned.他向神父忏悔他犯了罪。
• The priest visited all the old people in the parish.牧师探望了教区里的所有老人。

17 became   

v.(become的过去式)成为

参考例句：

• He became a doctor at the age of 27.他27岁时成了一名医生。
• He became a millionaire when he was still young.他还年轻时就成了百万富翁。

18 interested   

adj.感兴趣的；拥有权益的；有成见的v.使…感兴趣(interest的过去分词)

参考例句：

• to be interested in wildlife conservation 对野生动物保护感兴趣
• I told him I wasn't interested, but he wasn't deterred. 我已告诉他我不感兴趣，可他却不罢休。

19 education   

n.教育；培养

参考例句：

• He had a good education.他受过良好的教育。
• We mustn't cut the cost of education.我们不应该削减教育经费。

20 deaf   

adj.聋的

参考例句：

• Deaf people can't hear.聋人听不见。
• She was deaf to my advice.她对我的劝告充耳不闻。

21 invented   

n.虚拟v.发明，创造( invent的过去式和过去分词 )；编造

参考例句：

• Esperanto was invented as an auxiliary language. 世界语是作为辅助语发明的。
• Who invented the steam engine? 谁发明了蒸汽机？

22 alphabet   

n.字母表，符号系统

参考例句：

• There are 26 letters in the English alphabet.英语字母表中有26个字母。
• The last letter of the alphabet is Z.字母表的最后一个字母是Z。

23 made   

v.make的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• They were not made in china.它们不是中国制造的。
• The monkey made a long arm for the peach.猴子伸臂去摘桃子。

24 founded   

adj.有基础的v.创办，成立(found的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• All our fears proved ill-founded. 我们所有的担心结果都证明是杞人忧天。
• His fear turned out to be well founded. 他的恐惧证明是有道理的。

25 system   

n.系统，体系，制度，方式，秩序，分类原则

参考例句：

• He is good at the subject of social system.他擅长于社会制度问题。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

26 taught   

v.teach的过去式过去分词

参考例句：

• Children must be taught to be careful of traffic.必须教育孩子要当心车辆。
• Miss Brown taught my daughter last year.去年是布朗小姐教我女儿的。

27 patients   

n.患者( patient的名词复数 )；接受治疗者；受动着；承受者

参考例句：

• This drug is contraindicated in patients with asthma. 这种药哮喘病人禁用。
• Patients were being discharged from the hospital too early. 病人都过早获准出院。

28 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

29 states   

国家( state的名词复数 )； 州； [the states][口语]美国； 心态

参考例句：

• the assumed differences between the two states 两种状况的假定区别
• He barnstormed across the southern states in an attempt to woo the voters. 他在南方各州作巡回演说，企图拉选票。

30 news   

n.新闻，消息

参考例句：

• No news is good news.没有消息就是好消息。
• I like reading hot news.我喜欢读热点新闻。

31 programs   

n.程序( program的名词复数 )；编码指令；[生物学]（作为生物的一部分的）密码指令序列；节目单v.（像计算机程序那样）预先确定( program的第三人称单数 )；为（计算机）编制程序；为…提供生物程序；（在生物体的程序中）把…译成遗传密码

参考例句：

• These programs will integrate with your existing software. 这些程序将和你的已有软件可综合成整体。
• the Customs Service's drug interdiction programs 海关的毒品查禁方案

32 appear   

vi.出现，出场，出席，露面；似乎，好像，显得

参考例句：

• The students appear very nervous.学生们看起来很紧张。
• When night falls,stars appear.夜晚来到时星星出现。

33 screen   

n.屏，幕，银幕；屏风；v.选拔；掩蔽，遮蔽

参考例句：

• You can see him on the TV screen quite often.你可以经常从电视屏幕上见到他。
• She first appeared on the screen ten years ago.十年前，她第一次出现在银幕上。

34 national   

adj.国家的，民族的；n.国民

参考例句：

• In our country new year's day is a national holiday.在我国，元旦是全国性的假日。
• Tomorrow is a national holiday.明天是全国性节日。

35 theater   

n.戏院，电影院，剧场

参考例句：

• Excuse me,where is the entrance to the theater?请问剧院的入口在哪里？
• Her mother never went to the theater.她母亲从不去戏院看戏。

36 actors   

n.演员（尤指男演员）( actor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The actors were still in costume and make-up. 这些演员仍是戏装打扮。
• the freemasonry of actors 演员的志趣相投

37 travel   

n.旅行，游历，进行；vi.旅行，行进，移动，被传播；vt.旅行，通行于，使移动

参考例句：

• We can now travel by air.现在我们可以坐飞机旅行。
• Autumn is the best season for travel.秋天是旅行的最好季节。

38 readings   

n.阅读( reading的名词复数 )；读书；读物；读数

参考例句：

• As part of the celebrations they staged a big,open-air multimedia event,with music,videos,poetry readings,dance and improvisations. 在庆典中，他们举行了大型的露天多媒体活动，其中有音乐、录像、诗朗诵、舞蹈和即兴表演。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They have compiled a collection of Elementary Readings on the Natural Scieces to help young people in their studies. 为了便于青少年学习，他们编了一套《自然科学小丛书》。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

39 poems   

诗，韵文( poem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We will now hear the students read their poems, beginning with Tom. 现在我们来听听学生们朗诵他们的诗作，从汤姆开始吧。
• The poems have been translated into more than ten languages. 这些诗已被译成十几种文字。

40 during   

prep.在…期间，在…时候

参考例句：

• What did you do with yourself during the summer holidays?暑假你是怎样度过的？
• London is full of visitors during May and June.五六月间伦敦挤满了游客。

41 performance   

n.履行，执行；性能，特性；表演，演出

参考例句：

• The performance lasted for three hours.表演持续了三个小时。
• His performance in the exams was not very good.他考得不很好。

42 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

43 roof   

n.屋顶；v.给...覆以屋顶，覆盖

参考例句：

• A cat is on the roof.一只小猫在屋顶上。
• Move back! The roof is falling!往后退，屋顶要塌了！

44 closed   

adj.关闭的；封闭的

参考例句：

• He closed his eyes.他闭上了眼睛。
• He was out of work when the factory closed.他在工厂倒闭后失业了。

45 conversation   

n.谈话，交谈

参考例句：

• Conversation is one of pleasures of life.交谈是人生一大乐趣。
• We'll carry on a conversation with her tomorrow.我们将于明天与她会谈。