1．undertake vt. & vi. (undertook, undertaken)
（1）着手工作[start on (work)]，担任职位（take up a position）
He undertook a revolutionary task then.
他当时从事一项革命工作。（undertake sth.）
He undertook a journey.
他准备旅行。（undertake sth.）
（2）承担；接受；同意；保证
We should undertake the responsibility for changes.
我们应该承担起改革的责任。（承担）
He undertook to be our guide.
他同意做我们的向导。（undertake to be …同意……）
（相当于promise /agree）
He undertook to improve the working arrangements.
他答应改善工作方式。
（undertake to do sth.相当于promise /agree to do sth.）
I will undertake that all the cattle will grow well.
我保证所有的牲畜都能长得好。（undertake that…保证……）
2．curious adj.
（1）好奇的；好求知的（eager to know /learn）
A good student should always be curious to learn.
好学生应有求知欲。（be curious to do sth）
（2）好管闲事的，爱打听隐私的（having /showing too much interest in other people's
affairs）
He was so curious to know what was in the letter that he opened
it; even though it was addressed to his father.
虽然，信是寄给他父亲收的，但他对信的内容十分好奇，就把它拆开看了。（be curious to do sth）
（3）古怪的；奇怪的；奇特的；不寻常的（strange, unusual）
This is a curious piece of 19th century art.
这是一部稀罕的十九世纪艺术品。
派生词：curiously adv.
Curiously (enough), he seemed to know that already.
真奇怪，那件事他好像知道了。
3．branch n.（学科）分科；树枝；支流；支线；分支机构
Some birds settled on the branches of a big tree.
一些鸟栖息在一棵大树的枝头上。（树枝）
The Han River is a branch of the Changjiang River.
汉水是长江的支流。（支流）
You can find a branch road /railway in front of you.
你可在眼前发现一个道路/铁路支线。（支线）
Physics is a branch of science.
物理学是一门科学。（分科）
Our business has branches in many cities.
我们在许多城市设有分店。（分支机构）
He comes from a branch of our family that settled in America.
他来自我们定居美国的家族的一支。（分支）
相关搭配：
a Party branch 党支部
a League branch 团支部
a general Party branch 党总支
a branch office 分局；分店
4．debate n. 辩论；争论
vt. 与……辩论；争论
vi. 辩论；争论；参加辩论
There will be a long debate before the new law is passed.
新法令通过以前要先作一次长的辩论。（n.）
I debated upon /about the question with Mary.
我跟玛丽辩论了这个问题。（v.）
与upon /about 连用，构成词组：
debate upon /about sth with sb或debate with sb upon /about
sth. 与某人辩论某问题
They debated the question at the meeting yesterday.
昨天他们在会议上辩论了这个问题。（vt.）
另外，此词也可指心理的思想的斗争，可作“考虑，思考”讲，如：
I debated the idea in my mind until I fell asleep.
我入睡前心中一再思考这个问题。
派生词：debater n. 好争辩者；精于争辩者
5．imagine vi. 猜想；推测
vt. 想象，设想，幻想；以为，认为，相信
It can easily be imagined.
这很容易想象出来。
I didn’t imagine becoming a teacher in my childhood.
在童年时期，我并未想象成为一名教师。
可接“one’s /n. /pron. ＋V-ing”作宾语，其中one’s代表形容词性物主代词和名词所有格，与V-ing具有主谓关系。如：
I can’t imagine my marrying a girl of that sort.
我难以想象我与那种女子结婚后的情形。
Can you imagine Tom cooking dinner for twenty people?
你能想象出汤姆为20个人做饭的样子吗？
I imagine that you are tired from the journey.
我料想你是由于旅行而疲劳了。
I can’t imagine why they speak against you.
我想不出来为什么他们都不向着你说话。
可接“n. /pron. ＋(to be) n. /adj.”作复合宾语，其中n. /pron.作宾语，(to be) n./adj.作宾语补足语，to
be可以省略。如：
Imagine yourself (to be) a teacher. 假想你是一位老师。
I imagined the ship (to be) very large. 我想象那船很大。
可接“n. /pron. ＋as ＋n.”作复合宾语，其中n. /pron.作宾语，as＋n.作宾语补足语。如：
I imagined you as a big tall man. 我以为你是个高大的人。
6．research vt. & vi. 调查，研究，探索（into, on）
They researched on /into the effects of cigarette smoking.
他们研究了抽烟的影响。（research on /into sth. vi.）
We are researching a subject.
我们正在研究一个专题。（research sth. vt.）
This book has been very well researched.
这本书的研究做得很深入。（vt.）
n.（1）研究，探讨（[U]）
They will do some research on disease of the blood.
他们将研究血液疾病。（do research on /into sth.）
They are working on a piece of research.
他们正从事一项研究。
（2）一项研究成果（[C]）
They carried out a research into the causes of brain damage.
他们进行了脑伤原因的研究。
My researches were directed towards finding a cure for headaches.
我的研究目标是治头疼的方法。
7．seek vt. & vi.(sought, sought) 寻找，探索，追求（after,
for）
We sought after the truth in the matter.
我们寻找事情的真相。（seek after sth. vi.）
They were seeking among his untidy papers for the right one.
他们正在杂乱的文件堆中找寻着要的那一份。（seek…for… vi）
You could seek shelter from the rain.
你能寻找避雨之所。（seek sth vt.）
You should seek advice from your lawyer on this matter.
这件事情你应该请教你的律师。（请求，要求）
They sought to punish him for his crime but he escaped.
他们试图将他治罪，但他逃走了。（尝试，试图，try）
其它用法：
（1）自然地移往（to move naturally towards）
Water seeks its own level.
水自然往下流。
The compass pointer always seeks the north.
罗盘的指针总是指向北方。
（2）not far to seek不难了解的；浅近的（easily seen /understood; at hand）
The reason for his failure was not
far to seek, he was ill during
the examination.
他不及格的原因不难理解，他在考试时病了。
8．observe vi.&vt. 观察，看到，注意到（see and notice; watch
carefully）
He observes keenly but says very
little.
他观察敏锐，但很少发言。
They observed the thief stealing /steal the money.
他们看见这个小偷偷了钱。（observe sb do /doing sth.）
辨析：observe, watch与notice
observe着重表示“观察(watch carefully)”，常指带有科学的、分析的、批评的眼光去“观察”。
He observed things carefully and never took anything for granted.
他仔细观察事物，从不想当然。
She has observed the stars all her life.
她一生都在观察星象。
watch表示“观看，注视，监视（观看活动或事件）；照管、看守”。
Do you often watch television?
你常看电视吗？
They watched the sun setting until it disappeared behind the trees.
他们观看日落，直到太阳消失在树后。
I’ll watch the baby while you are away.
你不在时我会照看这婴儿的。
notice一般作“（无意中）注意到，觉察到”解。
I noticed a boy come out of the house.
我注意到一个男孩从屋中出来。
They noticed that Xiao Wu was missing.
他们发现小吴不见了。
1．work on
（1）继续工作
They have been working on the problem these five years.
这五年来他们一直致力于解决这个问题。
（2）对……做工作，对……施加影响
Work on your father until he agrees.
做你父亲的工作，直到他同意为止。
（3）影响
A child's tears always work on his mother's feeling.
孩子的眼泪总是影响其母亲的情绪。
2．go by
（1）（时间）过去
Time went by so quickly. We are already at the end of our summer
holiday.
时间过得真快，转眼我们已经要结束暑假了。
As time goes by ,his hair is turning gray.
随着时光飞逝，他的头发变白了。
（2）走过
Two strangers went by and I didn’t notice them.
两个陌生人从旁边走过，而我没注意到他们。
3．believe与believe in的区别：
believe (feel sure of the truth of sth.; that sb. is telling
the truth; be of the opinion that) 相信（事物的真实性，人的诚实），认为（要与宾语从句连用）
believe in (feel sure of the existence of ) 相信……存在
He believes in communism. 他信仰共产主义。
believe sb. 是“相信某人说的话是真的”即某一次具体的判断
believe in sb. 指较长时间觉得某人可靠，值得信任
I believe him. (=I believe what he says is true.)
I believe in him. (=I believe that he is a good and honest man.)
4．dream of /about [dreamed或dreamt, dreaming] 做梦；梦见
I dreamt about my teacher last night.
昨天夜里我梦见我的老师了。
I dream of being the best footballer in the town.
我梦想成为全城最好的足球队员。
I often dreamed of becoming a doctor.
我时常梦想成为一位医生。
常用于否定句，意为“做梦也想不到”。
I wouldn’t dream of cheating you.
我做梦也没想到要欺骗你呀。
I never dreamed of there being such a good hotel in this town.
我真没想到这个城镇中还有这么好的宾馆。
5．turn out 结果（是）；证明（是）；原来（是）
turn out 后常接(to be)＋adj./n./adv.
The night turned out cold and rainy.
那个晚上结果是寒冷且下雨。（turn out +adj.）
The lecture turned out to be very dull.
讲座结果很无聊。（turn out +to be + adj.）
Everything turned out well.
一切顺遂。（turn out + adv.）
可构成句型：It turns out that…
It turned out (that) two travelers
had been killed.
后来证实（查明）有两位旅客丧生。
1．There did not seem much point in working on my PhD——I did not
expect to survive that long.
取得博士学位对我来说没有什么意义，我没有期望活那么久。
point n. 要点；含义；论点；寓意
I don’t see your point.
我不懂你的意思。
I don’t see the point of waiting for her, she is probably not
coming.
我不知道等她有什么意义，她很可能不来了。
there is no point in doing sth. 做某事没有意义或作用
There’s no point in wasting time.
耗时间没用。
What is the point of discussing this issue further?
这件事再讨论下去有什么意义呢？
常见搭配：
point at 瞄准（= point towards） point out 指出；把注意力引向
beside the point 和手头的事无关的 in point 有关系的，相关的
in point of 就……而言；关于…… to the point 切题的
2．Nor did he let the disease stop him from living the kind of
life he had always dreamt of.
他也没有让疾病阻止他继续过他一直梦想的那种生活。
（1）否定词nor位于句首时，句子用部分倒装语序。
－I don’t think it is necessary to carry out this plan.我认为没有必要执行这个计划。
－Nor do I.我也认为没有必要。
注：这里指的否定词不仅仅包括nor, never, neither等等，还有not, few, little, hardly,
seldom, scarcely, rarely等等；又如：
Never have I seen him be like that.
我从来都没有见过他那样。
Not only is he a good father, but also he is a good friend.
他不仅是一个好父亲，也是个好朋友。
Hardly could I see anything in the dark night.
那个黑夜中我几乎什么都看不见。
Rarely does Tom get up early.
汤姆很少早起。
Neither is he honest, nor is he reliable.
他既不诚实也不可靠。
Hardly had I got home, when the telephone rang.
我刚到家，电话就响了。
3．People laughed at Zhang Heng when he first introduced his seismograph
and it was only later that the world recognized
his greatness.
张衡最初介绍他的地震仪时，人们还嘲笑他呢，只有在后来世界才承认他的伟大。
句子 it was only later that the world… 是强调句型，强调人们承认的时间是后来。
强调句型的结构：it is/was+被强调的部分+ that…
It is I who am right.（强调主语）
It was after the war was over that Einstein was able to come back
to his research work again. （强调时间状语）
It was in front of the bank that the old lady was robbed. （强调地点状语）
考试中，为了增加试题难度，强调句型经常以疑问句形式出现。其一般疑问句形式是：
Is/ Was it+被强调成分+who/that?
Is it Mr. Smith who teaches you English?
其特殊疑问句形式是：疑问词+is/
was+ it+ that…? （强调句型的特殊疑问句只能强调特殊疑问词）
Why was it that you did not attend the meeting yesterday?
When was it that this traffic accident happen?
Where was it that you put my English dictionary?
4．By asking why, how and what if, curious mind find new ideas
and solutions.
有好奇心的人通过探询所以然、如何然，设想前因后果，就可以获得新思想、找到解决问题的方案。
what if 倘使……将会怎样；即使……又有什么要紧
相当于What would/will happen if…?
例如：
What if we move the picture over here? Do you think it'll look
better?
把画移到这儿会怎样？你看会不会好看一点？
What if you should fail?
假如你失败了，该怎么办呢？
What if he fails?
如果他失败又有什么关系？
