Unit 1
Text A
Pre-reading Activities
First Listening
1. You're about to hear a conversation about Winston Churchill. Before you listen, take a look at the words below. Which do you think you're likely to hear when people discuss Churchill? Then, as you listen to the tape the first time, circle the words you hear.
prime minister author painter politician World War I romantic fearless serious passionate World War II
Second Listening
Read the following questions first to prepare yourself to answer them to the best of your ability.
2. What was the argument about? Which side do you believe?
3. What do you know about Winston Churchill as British prime minister? What about his personality—do you have any impressions of him as a human being?
Winston Churchill—His Other Life
Mary Soames
My father, Winston Churchill, began his love affair with painting in his 40s, amid disastrous circumstances. As First Lord of the Admiralty in 1915, he had been deeply involved in a campaign in the Dardanelles that could have shortened the course of a bloody world war. But when the mission failed, with great loss of life, Churchill paid the price, both publicly and privately: He was removed from the Admiralty and lost his position of political influence.
Overwhelmed by the disaster — "I thought he would die of grief," said his wife, Clementine — he retired with his family to Hoe Farm, a country retreat in Surrey. There, as Churchill later recalled, "The muse of painting came to my rescue!"
One day when he was wandering in the garden, he chanced upon his sister-in-law sketching with watercolours. He watched her for a few minutes, then borrowed her brush and tried his hand — and the muse worked her magic. From that day forward, Winston was in love with painting.
Delighted with anything that distracted Winston from the dark thoughts that overwhelmed him, Clementine rushed off to buy whatever paints and materials she could find. Watercolours, oil paints, paper, canvas — Hoe Farm was soon filled with everything a painter could want or need.
Painting in oils turned out to be Winston's great love — but the first steps were strangely difficult. He contemplated the blank whiteness of his first canvas with unaccustomed nervousness. He later recalled:
"Very hesitantly I selected a tube of blue paint, and with infinite precaution made a mark about as big as a bean on the snow-white field. At that moment I heard the sound of a motorcar in the drive and threw down my brush in a panic. I was even more alarmed when I saw who stepped from the car: the wife of Sir John Lavery, the celebrated painter who lived nearby.
"'Painting!' she declared. 'What fun. But what are you waiting for? Let me have the brush — the big one.' She plunged into the paints and before I knew it, she had swept several fierce strokes and slashes of blue on the absolutely terrified canvas. Anyone could see it could not hit back. I hesitated no more. I seized the largest brush and fell upon my wretched victim with wild fury. I have never felt any fear of a canvas since."
Lavery, who later tutored Churchill in his art, said of his unusual pupil's artistic abilities: "Had he chosen painting instead of politics, he would have been a great master with the brush."
In painting, Churchill had discovered a companion with whom he was to walk for the greater part of his life. Painting would be his comfort when, in 1921, the death of his mother was followed two months later by the loss of his and Clementine's beloved three-year-old daughter, Marigold. Overcome by grief, Winston took refuge at the home of friends in Scotland — and in his painting. He wrote to Clementine: "I went out and painted a beautiful river in the afternoon light with red and golden hills in the background. Many loving thoughts.... Alas, I keep feeling the hurt of Marigold."
Life and love and hope slowly revived. In September 1922 another child was born to Clementine and Winston: myself. In the same year, Winston bought Chartwell, the beloved home he was to paint in all its different aspects for the next 40 years.
My father must have felt a glow of satisfaction when in the mid-1920s he won first prize in a prestigious amateur art exhibition held in London. Entries were anonymous, and some of the judges insisted that Winston's picture — one of his first of Chartwell — was the work of a professional, not an amateur, and should be disqualified. But in the end, they agreed to rely on the artist's honesty and were delighted when they learned that the picture had been painted by Churchill.
Historians have called the decade after 1929, when Winston again fell from office, his barren years. Politically barren they may have been, as his lonely voice struggled to awaken Britain to the menace of Hitler, but artistically those years bore abundant fruit: of the 500-odd Churchill canvases in existence, roughly half date from 1930 to 1939.
Painting remained a joy to Churchill to the end of his life. "Happy are the painters," he had written in his book Painting as a Pastime, "for they shall not be lonely. Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end of the day." And so it was for my father.
(776 words)
New Words
amid
prep.in the middle of, among 在…之中
* disastrous
a. extremely bad; terrible 灾难性的，糟透的
lord
n. (in Britain) title of some officials of very high rank（英）大臣；大人，阁下
admiralty
n. (the A～)(in Britain) government department in charge of the navy （英）海军部
campaign
n. 1. a series of planned military actions 战役
2. a planned series of activities, esp. in politics and business 运动
bloody
a. 1. very violent, with a lot of wounding and killing 血腥的
2. covered with blood 血污的
mission
n. 1. (usu. military) duty or purpose for which people are sent somewhere ［常指军事］任务
2. 天职，使命
privately
ad. 1. not publicly 非公开地
2. personally; secretly 在涉及私（个）人方面；秘密地
private
a. 1. personal; secret 私（个）人的；秘密的
2. not public 非公开的
disaster
n. (a)sudden great misfortune 灾难，天灾；祸患
* grief
n. a feeling of extreme sadness 悲哀
* grieve
v. suffer from grief or great sadness （为…而）悲伤；伤心
retreat
n. 1. a place into which one can go for peace and safety 隐居处
2. 撤退；避难
vi. move back or leave a center of fighting or other activity 撤退；退避
muse, Muse
n. 1. (in Greek mythology) one of the nine goddesses of poetry, music, etc. 缪斯（希腊神话中司文艺的九位女神之一）
2. a force or person that inspires sb. to write, paint, etc. 创作灵感
rescue
n. help which gets sb. out of a dangerous or unpleasant situation 救助；救援
vt. 救助；救援
sister-in-law
n. sister of one's husband or wife 姑子；姨子；嫂子；弟媳
sketch
v. make a quick, rough drawing (of sth.) 素描，速写
n. 素描，速写
watercolo(u)r
n. 水彩（颜料）；水彩画
magic
n. 魔法，法术
a. 有魔力的
* distract
vt. (from) take (one's mind, sb.) off sth. 转移（注意力）; 使转移注意力
* canvas
n. 1. a piece of strong heavy cloth used for an oil painting 帆布画布
2. a completed oil painting 油画
* contemplate
vt. look at in a serious or quiet way, often for some time （默默地）注视，凝视
blank
a. 1. without writing, print or other marks 空白的
2. expressionless；without understanding 无表情的；茫然的
unaccustomed
a. not used (to sth.); not usual （对某物）不习惯的；不寻常的
accustomed
a. regular; usual 惯常的，通常的
hesitantly
ad. not doing sth. quickly or immediately for one's uncertainty or worry about it 犹豫不决地
infinite
a. extremely great in degree or amount; without limits or end 无限的；极大的
precaution
n. 1. carefulness 防备，预防
2. an action taken to avoid sth. dangerous or unpleasant 预防措施
bean
n. 豆；蚕豆
motorcar
n. a car 汽车
alarm
vt. excite with sudden fear or anxiety 使惊恐；使忧虑
n. 1. a sudden feeling of fear or anxiety 惊恐；忧虑
2. a warning of danger 警报
plunge
vi. (into, in) 1. rush suddenly and deeply into sth. 投身于
2. suddenly fall in a particular direction 纵身投入；一头扎入
fierce
a. 1. angry, violent and cruel 暴怒的；凶猛的；残酷的
2. (of heat, strong feelings) very great 强烈的
* slash
n. a long sweeping cut or blow 砍；挥击
vt. cut with long sweeping forceful strokes；move or force with this kind of cutting movement 砍，砍击；猛挥
absolutely
ad. completely；without conditions 完全地；绝对地
* terrify
vt. fill with terror or fear 恐吓，使惊吓
* wretched
a. very unhappy or unfortunate 不幸的；可怜的
victim
n. sb. or sth. hurt or killed as a result of other people's actions, or of illness, bad luck, etc. 牺牲者，受害者；牺牲品
* fury
n. 1. a wildly excited state (of feeling or activity) 狂热；激烈
2. (a state of) very great anger 狂怒
artistic
a. 1. of. concerning art or artists 艺术的；艺术家的
2. made with inventive skill or imagination 富有艺术性的
companion
n. mate; one who associates with or accompanies another 同伴；伴侣
beloved
a. much loved; darling 深爱的；亲爱的
overcome
vt. 1. (often pass.) (by, with) (of feelings) take control and influence one's behavior ［常被动］（感情等）压倒，使受不了
2. win a victory over; defeat 克服；战胜
* refuge
n. (a place that provides) protection or shelter from harm, danger or unhappiness 避难（所）；庇护（所）
alas
int. a cry expressing grief, sorrow or fear 唉（表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等）
* revive
v. 1. regain strength, consciousness, life, etc.；bring (sb. or sth.) back to strength, consciousness, life, etc. （使）复苏；（使）重振活力
2. become active, popular, or successful again 恢复生机；复兴；重新流行
glow
n. a feeling of warmth or pleasure 热烈
vi. emit a soft light 发光
amateur
a. & n. (a person who is) not professional 业余（水平）的（运动员、艺术家等）
entry
n. 1. a person or thing taking part in a competition, race, etc. 参赛一员
2. entrance; the act of entering or the right to enter 进入；进入权
* anonymous
a. (of a person) with name unknown；(of a letter, painting, etc.) written or created by an unidentified person 名字不详的；匿名的
disqualify
vt. make or declare unfit, unsuitable, or unable to do sth. 取消…的资格；使不适合；使不能
rely
vi. (on, upon) 1. have trust or confidence (in) 信任；信赖
2. depend with full trust or confidence 依赖
* historian
n. a person who studies history and/or writes about it 历史学家
* barren
a. (of land) unproductive （土地等）贫瘠的，荒芜的
awaken
vt. 1. (to) cause to become conscious of 使意识到
2. cause to wake up 唤醒
* menace
n. a threat or danger 威胁
abundant
a. plentiful; more than enough 丰富的；充足的
abundance
n. a great quantity; plenty 丰富；充裕；大量
odd
a. 1. (infml.) (after numbers) a little more than the stated number ［常用以构成复合词］…以上的；…出头的
2. strange or unusual 奇特的；古怪的
3. 奇数的，单数的
existence
n. the state of existing 存在；实有
* pastime
n. hobby；sth. done to pass time in a pleasant way 消遣，娱乐
Phrases and Expressions
pay the price
experience sth. unpleasant because one has done sth. wrong, made a mistake, etc. 付出代价
come to sb.'s rescue
help sb. when he/she is in danger or difficulty 解救某人，救助某人
chance upon
meet by chance; find by chance 偶然碰见；偶然发现
try one's hand
attempt (to do sth.), esp. for the first time 尝试
plunge into
begin to do sth. suddenly; enter without hesitation 突然或仓促地开始某事；突然冲入
before one knows it
before one has time to consider the course of events 转眼之间，瞬息之间
fall upon
attack fiercely 猛攻，猛扑
take refuge
seek protection from danger or unhappiness 避难
rely on
trust, or confidently depend on 依赖，依靠
fall from office
lose a position of authority to which sb. was elected or appointed 离位，下台
awaken to
cause to become conscious of 使意识到
bear fruit
produce successful results 结果实；有成果
date from
have existed since 始自
keep sb. company
stay with sb. so that he/she is not alone 陪伴某人
Proper Names
Winston Churchill
温斯顿·丘吉尔（1874—1965，英国保守党政治家、首相［1940—1945，1951—1955］、作家）
Mary Soames
玛丽·索姆斯
First Lord of the Admiralty
（英国）海军大臣
Dardanelles
达达尼尔海峡（位于亚洲小亚细亚半岛同欧洲巴尔干半岛之间）
Clementine
克莱门泰因（女子名）
Surrey
萨里郡（英国英格兰郡名）
John Lavery
约翰·莱佛利
Marigold
玛丽戈尔德（女子名）
Chartwell
查特威尔（宅名）
Adolf. Hitler
希特勒（1889—1945，纳粹德国元首） |