【文章內(nèi)容簡(jiǎn)介】 k on the buried ashes.Discovering yourself Unit 1133 After all, we never quite know when the hooded, scythecarrying, bringerofthelastbreath mighteacalling. (Para 1)The expression the hooded, scythecarrying, bringerofthelast breath refers to the reaper, a person whoreaps or cuts corn for the harvest and is a symbol of death from medieval times of the West. A reaper ispersonified as a tall figure dressed in a black cloak with a hood covering his face and carrying a scythe,a cutting tool with a long curved metal blade used for cutting, or reaping long grass or corn. The reaperbrings death or brings your last breath. The expression when the reaper arrives means when death esto you.4 … and nothing underlines the uncertainty and absolute frailty of humanity like the untimely exit ofa friend. (Para 1)The word exit here means leaving this world or death. The word untimely means happening at a time thatis not suitable because it causes problems. An untimely death is too soon or when a person is young.5 Knowing that we are all budding cryptkickers takes away all the uncertainty of life. (Para 3)That we are all budding cryptkickers is a humorous way of saying that we are all potentially soon to beburied, ie dead.6 The prologue and epilogue are already typed in. All that’s left is the middle bit ... choose the meat ofthe story. (Para 3)A prologue is a piece of writing at the start of a book, or the beginning of a play, film or TV programmethat introduces a story. An epilogue is at the end of a novel, play or piece of writing, which carries an extrament or extra information about what happens after the main story. Here, the writer’s point is that theprologue (birth) and epilogue (end, death) of your life are already written, but we all choose to write themiddle bit – the meat of the story.7 So, all those plans that you have on the back burner, you know, the great things you’re going to dowith your life “when the time is right”? (Para 4)A back burner is literally one of the back parts of a cooker which is used for heating or cooking food.Metaphorically, if you put something on the back burner, it means you have decided not to do it untillater. It is at the back of the cooker, just simmering or cooking slowly, so you don’t give it priority becauseit doesn’t need your full attention. The expression this backburner stuff (Para 10) thus refers to thingswhich have low priority and get little attention.8 There’s only a promissory note that we are often not in a position to cash. (Para 5)A promissory note is a document giving details of your promise to pay someone a particular amount ofmoney by a particular date. The writer means that tomorrow, or the future, is like a promissory note forwhich you never get the cash, because the future never es unless you act now and use time wisely, asif tomorrow is today.9 … but regret and a rearview mirror full of “could haves”, “should haves” and “would haves”. (Para 5)A rearview mirror is a mirror fixed to the front window of a car that lets the driver see what is happeningbehind. Here, the mirror refers to the past, which is behind us. We don’t want such a mirror full of regretsabout things we could / should / would have done, but did not do.Unit 1 Discovering yourself1410 I love watching people ingeniously stack the cucumber around the side of the bowl – like they’refilling a skip – and then cramming it so high that they have to hire a forklift truck to get it back tothe table … They just know that they only have one shot at it. (Para 6)A skip is a large metal container used in the building industry for waste。 it is carried away by a truckwhen it is full.A forklift truck is a vehicle that uses two long metal bars at the front for lifting and moving heavy objects.The writer is using the images of a skip and a truck to emphasize how people use the opportunity to servethemselves, because they only have one shot – they only have one chance or attempt, they can’t return formore salad in this type of buffet, so they make the most of this opportunity.11 So what I’m thinking is (and this is not molecular science) … (Para 10)It means this is not specialized knowledge. It’s not rocket science。 it’s simple and straightforward.12 The right time is the cheque that’s permanently in the post, it never arrives. (Para 10)That the cheque is in the post means money has been sent, its on its way. This is often said as an excusefor late payment, so if the cheque’s permanently in the post, it means the money never es.13 It’s the girl who keeps us standing at the corner of the Coop looking like a spanner … She’s stoodus up. (Para 10)The expression looking like a spanner on the street corner means he looks awkward and out of place,waiting for a girl who is late and never arrives.To stand someone up means not to e to meet them when you have arranged to meet them, especiallysomeone with whom you are having or starting a romantic relationship. The word us is an informal andpersonal way to include others who will recognize that this is a typical experience.14 Act now or your time will elapse and you’ll end up as a sepiacoloured relative that no one can puta name to in a dusty photo album. (Para 13)The expression you’ll end up as a sepiacoloured relative means that in the end you will be only anold halfforgotten photograph in a photo album. I can’t put a name to someone is said when you halfrecognizea person but you can’t quite remember his name.15 Better to leave a biography as thick as a whale omelette than an epitaph. (Para 14)An omelette is flat round food made by mixing eggs together and cooking them. The expression as thickas a whale means extremely thick. The writer means it is better to leave a very large biography than anepitaph, or, in other words, live a full life which is worth writing about.Reading and understanding3 C