大学英语精读Unit_5_background information.ppt

Reader’s Digest: a popular magazine containing short articles and stories, many of them condensed, on different subjects. 40. Our news briefings, thanks to USA Today, are more brief than ever. Briefing: a meeting in which people are given instructions or information; the detailed instructions or information that are given at such a meeting 41. Even our personal relationships … is no time at all. Even our personal relationships are affected. Instead of spending much of our time with our loved ones, we now talk about giving them full attention in the limited time after work. But usually we have no time to do that at all. Devote sth. to sb./sth. : to give an amount of time, attention, etc. to sb./sth., e. g. I think the paper should devote more space to local news. No matter how busy he is, he devotes an hour a day to reading. Loved ones: those people you love, especially your family Replace sth./sb. (with sth./sb.): to start using another thing or person instead of the one you are using now, e.g. They want to replace their old computer with a new one. I don’t want to replace Ms. Wang with anyone less experienced. Quality time: time spent with e. g. one’s children when one is relaxed and has got nothing to do. This is supposed to be good for parent and child, especially because the parent is at work for most of the day, e. g. She regards her hour with her daughter at bedtime as quality time. More often than not: more than or at least half of the time, e. g. Whenever I make a request, more often than not my parents reject it. More often than not, the couple dine out in Chinese restaurants. 42. As we rush from … that lies just below the surface. When we rush through books, music, news items and relationship, we are paying attention to the surface and will never get into the heart of anything. Iceberg principle: Icebergs float with only about 10% of their bulk above the surface of the water, therefore the much larger part is out of sight. 43. When did it all begin, th