4. Complete the sentences, using the words or phrases in brackets.
1) applicants; veteran; the prospective
2) From his standpoint; has made every endeavor to go after
3) as the saying goes; to have a crack at; barely
II. Words with Multiple Meanings
1. behave
2. keep (used to avoid repetition)
3. clean
4. get along
5. perform/complete
6. perform/complete
7. study
8. be enough
9. be acceptable
III. Usage:
1. There is so much to say and it is hard to know where to begin. OK, I’ll talk about myself first.
2. Thank you very much, John, for your beautiful Christmas card. By the way, I have something here for you.
3. The new computer language can be quite easily understood by anyone who can read the daily newspaper.
Now, why is this an advantage?
4. I’m going to work out the outline and will let you know how it goes. By the way, I will see you in February,
as I plan to attend your seminar in Shanghai.
5. OK, you got the job. Now, how to maximize your profits with as little effort as possible?
6. Chris is back from Australia. Incidentally, those pictures you sent me are wonderful.
Comprehensive Exercises:
I. Cloze.
1. Text-related:
(1) prospective (2) As I see it (3) done your homework (4) beforehand
(5) endeavor (6) structure (7) partners (8) Respond
(9) take a crack (10) from the standpoint (11) make a difference
(12) follow up
1. Theme-related:
(1) encouraging (2) inquiry (3) relevant (4) samples (5) references (6) advice
(7) preparing (8) seriously (9) probably (10) exhibit
II. Translation:
1. Translate the sentences into English.
1) Despite the inadequate length of the airstrip in this emergency landing, the veteran pilot managed to stop the plane after taxiing for only a short while.
2) Grilled by the reporters, the movie star eventually blurted (out) that she had undergone two plastic surgeries.
3) We have the technology and our partner has the capital. Working together, we’ll have the future in our hands.
4) If I had know beforehand that you would bring some many friends home, I would have made better preparations. You see, I have barely enough food and drinks for a snack.
5) People gave generously upon learning that new school rooms with stronger structures were to be built in the earthquake-stricken area.
2. Translate the passage into English.
Well begun, half done, as the saying goes. It is extremely important for a job applicant to do his homework while seeking employment. From my standpoint, whether or not one has done his homework clearly makes a difference in his chance of success.
I have a friend who is earning somewhere in the neighborhood of 100,000 dollars a year in a large computer software company. He told me that from his own experience the decision makers who interview prospective employees like people who are well prepared. Those who make no endeavor to learn as much about his prospective employer as possible don’t have much of a chance of success.
